New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne barely made himself felt in Week 1's showdown against the Miami Dolphins Sunday. Expected to be a major part of the Pats' offense, Bourne found himself not even remotely close to the hype he carried with him going into the 2022 NFL season when he finished with just one catch on one target for 41 receiving yards in the loss to the Dolphins. Bourne understandably sounded frustrated over the low usage he got in that contest, but head coach Bill Belichick appeared to explain that it was not by design.
“It just kind of worked out that way. It wasn't anything that was specifically avoided. It just didn't work out,” the Patriots head coach said during Monday's appearance on The Greg Hill Show (h/t PatsFans).
Kendrick Bourne was among the chief weapons downfield of quarterback Mac Jones in 2021. That year, Bourne had 800 receiving yards on 55 receptions on 70 targets — all second-best on the Patriots behind Jakobi Meyers. He also finished with five rushing touchdowns, with only tight end Hunter Henry (9) having more.
Overall, the Patriots' offense against Miami stalled, mainly because of turnovers. They gave the ball away three times, one on interception and two on lost fumbles.
It's too early for Kendrick Bourne (and his fantasy football owners) to give up, obviously. He will have a chance to rebound with a much stronger performance in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers who likely will play without star linebacker TJ Watt.
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