Nothing has gone right for the New England Patriots this season. So in a way, it was no surprise when the news dropped on Monday that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
Such is the Patriots’ luck in 2023.
First and foremost, this flat out stinks for Bourne, who has come a long ways from the days in Matt Patricia’s doghouse. Under offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, we were witnessing a reawakening of the explosive playmaker that emerged in 2021.
As for the team, there really isn’t anyone on the roster capable of replacing the production Bourne gave the Patriots. Demario Douglas has a ton of potential as a future high-volume receiver, but it’s unfair to expect him to emerge as a top playmaker, when he’ll likely be seeing double teams and bracket coverage as a rookie.
Keep in mind, DeVante Parker also went down with a head injury on Sunday, So outside of Douglas, there’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte.
Can quarterback Mac Jones get the offense back on track by making lemons out of the lemonade?
It’s an impossible task that’s being asked of him, all while playing behind a makeshift offensive line that changes faces more often than Pistachio Disguisey.
The Patriots could use the rest of the season to gauge the potential of players like Thornton, Boutte and Reagor. Can one player or multiple players step up and take advantage of the opportunity that has now opened up on offense?
Thornton is the main one to keep an eye on down the stretch. The physical traits of being a bigger and more explosive outside target are clearly there, but he has yet to put things together consistently enough on the field.
He was a healthy scratch ahead of the Week 8 meeting with the Miami Dolphins. This could be his final opportunity to prove he’s worth the second-round draft pick the Patriots used to get him in 2022.
The Patriots could also shift the focus even more towards the running backs and tight ends as pass-catchers in an offense that needs all of the help it can get right now. Regardless of what the team does, it will still be an uphill battle the rest of the way.
Fixing a bad offense without the player personnel to make it work will be the greatest challenge Bill Belichick has ever faced in his coaching career.
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