The New England Patriots have found another hero, this time in the form of wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson. If Pats fans didn't know who Wilkerson was when they saw him entering the game in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they surely do now, as Bill Belichick gave the 24-year-old wideout plenty of playing time, albeit on an opportunity that seemingly came at the expense of N'Keal Harry.
Wilkerson did not disappoint Belichick and repaid the head coach's trust in him by contributing to the team — a lot. The former Southeast Missouri State star finished the game with 42 receiving yards and two touchdowns on four catches and eight targets in a 50-10 win.
Wilkerson had not appeared in a single snap this season prior to Week 17. He had not even recorded a reception in the NFL going into the contest. But somehow, the Patriots activated him from the practice squad and got him playing a ton of snaps right away. Belichick was pretty succinct when he explained the decision after the game.
Via Zack Cox of NESN:
“Wilk gave us some plays in the kicking game and offensively,” Belichick said. “He’s had a couple good weeks of practice and a good week this week. (We) felt like he had earned the opportunity, and he made a couple plays (Sunday) to help the team. It’s really kind of a week-to-week thing on who we activate and who’s at the game and who isn’t and so forth. … We’ll take it really day by day, but the decisions will be weekly.”
As for Harry, it remains to be seen whether Wilkerson's emergence would result in another healthy scratch in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins on the road.
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