Tag: Kendrick Bourne

4 Patriots who need to step up vs. the Falcons in Week 11

We take a look at four Patriots players who need to step up against the Atlanta Falcons

The New England Patriots are soaring high as they enter Thursday’s contest with the Atlanta Falcons. Riding a four-game winning streak, they look to continue their good fortune after jockeying with AFC opponents in the playoff race.

New England’s win on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns showcased solid performances by many players. Both the running and passing games were firing on all cylinders. Now, the Patriots will look to put together a solid performance against an Atlanta Falcons team that has struggled at times this season.

We take a look at four Patriots who need to step up against the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Watch Thursday Night Football on Amazon with a Prime Membership. Viewers can watch this week’s game with an Amazon Fire TV Product. Get yours now!

 

Best Fantasy Football waiver wire pickups for Week 11

These players could help your lineups in Week 11.

After a week full of one-sided games and some crazy upsets, we’re headed into the final stretch of the regular season of the 2021 fantasy football season.

If you’re looking for a player or two to help save your team due to bye weeks (Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams) or injuries, or just to improve your roster in the last few weeks, we will scan the waiver wire. We will consider guys who are available in at least 50% of leagues on ESPN.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential waiver wire pickups that could help your teams heading into Week 11 of the NFL campaign.

Kendrick Bourne says Jakobi Meyers’ 1st touchdown was ‘the highlight of the game’

Kendrick Bourne was excited for Jakobi Meyers’ first touchdown.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby79hc76t2s390 player_id=none image=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers scored his first receiving touchdown of the season on Sunday. It was a long time coming, as Meyers entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

With over 1,500 receiving yards and 135 receptions in his career, he has managed to make an impact in the National Football League. Up until Sunday however, his first touchdown eluded him.

With the touchdown now in the books, Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne had congratulatory praise for Meyers, per Adam London of NESN.com. Bourne had a good game in his own right, catching four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed the ball three times for 43 yards.

“I think it was just the highlight of the game,” Bourne told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “How it was all going and, then, to end that way with him getting his first, congrats to my guy. He’s been working so hard. He works hard every day and he deserves it. I told him he might go on a touchdown streak now. It was just dope for him breaking the tackle too and then making the play, but again, shoutout to the whole team executing on the play to make the play happen. It takes everybody.”

For Meyers, his stellar play continues after what was a very productive 2020 season. the Patriots are producing in their own right, riding a four-game winning streak as they take on the Atlanta Falcons this Thursday night.

[lawrence-related id=114850]

N’Keal Harry absolutely bullied the Browns as a blocker, and the Patriots were impressed

Kendrick Bourne was impressed by this aspect of N’Keal Harry’s game on Sunday

New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry caught one pass for 30 yards on Sunday. However, he made several key plays that did not go unnoticed by his teammate.

Harry played a key role as a blocker, using every bit of his six-foot-four, 225-pound frame to set up plays for his teammates. He played a vital role on an end-around play that was taken by Kendrick Bourne for 17 yards. He also managed to clear space for running back Rhamondre Stevenson to dash into the end zone for a touchdown.

Bourne had a productive day, catching four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He showed his dual-threat abilities, running the ball for chunks of yardage.

“N’Keal Harry, man. Shoutout to him,” Bourne said after the game, via NESN.com’s Zach Cox. “He made a lot of tremendous blocks today, getting the edge started. On a couple of those runs, he helped me get the edge, and it looked really good out there.”

As Harry looks to carve his niche in the New England offense, strong blocking efforts could help him do so moving forward.

[lawrence-related id=114860]

 

Tunnel Vision of Week 10

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass – Rush TD
 Dak Prescott  296 – 5 3
 Josh Allen 366 – 3 2
 Jalen Hurts 178 – 53 2
 Trevor Siemian 298 2
 Patrick Mahomes 406 5
Running Backs Yards TD
R. Stevenson 20-100 rush
4-14 catch		 2
AJ Dillon 21-66 rush
2-62 catch		 2
Christian McCaffrey 13-95 rush
10-66 catch		 0
Jonathan Taylor 21-116 rush
6-10 catch		 1
Darrel Williams 11-43 rush
9-101 catch		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Stefon Diggs 8-162 1
CeeDee Lamb 1-12 rush
6-94 catch		 2
Kendrick Bourne 3-43 rush
4-98 catch		 1
Justin Jefferson 9-143 0
Tyreek Hill 7-83 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Hunter Henry 4-37 2
Mark Andrews 6-63 1
Tyler Conklin 3-11 2
Gerald Everett 8-63 0
Travis Kelce 8-119 0
Placekickers XP FG
Zane Gonzalez 2 4
Jake Elliott 3 3
Chris Boswell 1 3
Randy Bullock 2 3
Harrison Butker 5 2
Defense Sack – TO TD
Cowboys 2 – 2 1
Packers 3 – 2 0
Dolphins 4 – 2 1
Patriots 5 – 1 0
Panthers 4 – 2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Baker Mayfield – Knee
QB Colt McCoy – Pectoral
RB Aaron Jones – Knee
RB Jermar Jefferson – Ankle
WR Anthony Schwartz – Head
WR CeeDee Lamb – Arm
TE Ricky Seals-Jones – Hip
TE Hayden Hurst – Ankle
TE Dallas Goedert – Head

Chasing Ambulances

QB Baker Mayfield (CLE)  – Suffered a bruised right knee and did not return in the loss to the Patriots. Mayfield was already playing through injuries and said after the game that he wasn’t sure he could play this week against the Lions.  Case Keenum will take the attractive start if Mayfield isn’t able to play.

RB Aaron Jones (GB) – Went down in the third quarter of the win over the Seahawks holding his right knee. He did not return to the game and is believed to have sprained his MCL. He had to be helped from the field, and there is concern that it may force him to miss games. An MRI will confirm the situation on Monday. If Jones misses time, AJ Dillon would be in line for an  increase in workload against the Vikings this week, and the Rams the following matchup if it were to be more than one week.

Patrick Taylor is the only other running back currently on the active roster, but he’s an undrafted ex-Memphis back who was on the practice squad until two weeks ago. His two rushes for seven yards on Sunday were his first in the NFL. Dillon is the only back sure to see an increase in work if Jones remains out.

WR CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – He’s been nursing a sore ankle but blew up for two scores against the Falcons. He also suffered an arm contusion that had him leave the game. He’s thought to have been injured in the first half and just played through it. He said that it felt like it was “a charlie horse in my arm.” It doesn’t sound like anything serious.

TE Ricky Seals-Jones (WAS) – Injured his hip and was helped from the field by the trainers, Logan Thomas hasn’t been activated from injured reserve yet, but he’s expected to return soon. The only other options are John Bates and Sammie Reyes but neither would carry any fantasy value if Thomas remains out and Seals-Jones cannot play.

TE Dallas Goedert (PHI) – Took a shot to the head and will be tested for a concussion. If he misses any time, the only other tight ends on the roster are Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson, and neither would project as fantasy relevant even if Goedert misses any time.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Rashod Bateman (BAL) –  The rookie played in just four games this year, but he’s improved each week and led the Ravens with six receptions for 80 yards in their loss to the Dolphins.

QB Matt Ryan (ATL) – after throwing for two scores and around 300 yards for the last six games, he only completed 9-of-21 for 117 yards with two interceptions in the loss to the Cowboys.

WR Michael Gallup (DAL) – Spent the last eight weeks on injured reserve but returned in the in over the Falcons. He caught three passes for 42 yards and his five targets were second only to the six passes thrown to CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard.

RB James Robinson (JAC) – Returned after injuring his heel in Week 8. He started slowly but finished with 12 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, plus caught four passes for 27 yards. His heel appeared to be no issue.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) – The Player-of-the-week below not only ran for 100 yards and two scores on 20 carries and caught four passes for 14 yards but he was pulled midway in the fourth quarter or it would have been more. Damien Harris was out with a concussion, but Stevenson is buying a bigger role ongoing even when Harris returns as the starter.

WR Kendrick Bourne (NE) – All of his best efforts have been in home games, which continued against the visiting Browns. Bourne ended with four receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, plus gained 43 yards on three rushes. His two previous games were on the road and he never gained more than 35 yards in either game.

TE Hunter Henry (NE) – After scoring in five of the previous six games, Henry scored twice in the win over the Browns. His yardage is typically low, but he scored seven times over the last seven games.

RB Matt Breida (BUF) – Both Devin Singletary (7-43, TD) and Zack Moss (7-27, TD) had more carries than Breida, but this was the first time that we’ve seen him since Week 1 and Breida ran for 28 yards and a touchdown on three carries, plus caught three passes for 22 yards and a second score. There was only one other pass thrown to a running back. And this takes a more interesting slant with head coach Sean McDermott’s recent statement that he wanted to get more from his backfield after Week 9 saw Singletary (6-16) and Moss (3-6) were ineffective against the Steelers. Notable too is that all three backs faced the Jets and their No. 32 ranked defense against running backs.

RB Godwin Igwebuike (DET) – The Lions battled to a tie, kind of a win since they were 0-8. And they did that at the Steelers by running the ball 39 times versus just 25 passes. D’Andre Swift (33-130) was the workhorse, and Jamaal Williams was out with a thigh injury that may continue into Week 11, given that he never practiced. Jermar Jefferson ran for 41 yards on three carries and scored but was carted off after injuring his ankle while crossing the goal line.  Godwin Igwebuike is an ex-safety converted to running back  and debuted with three runs for 18 yards and three catches for 40 yards in Week 8. He again filled in this week and ran for 56 yards on two carries that included an impressive 42-yard touchdown run. Jefferson appeared to have a serious injury. If he and Williams remain out this week, Igwebuike would be the direct backup for Swift in Cleveland this week.

RB Mark Ingram (NO) – Had the start since Alvin Kamara was out. Ingram ran for 47 yards and a score on 14 rushes and added four catches for 61 yards. He tied with Tre’Quan Smith for a team-high seven targets. He did a credible job filling in.

RB D’Onta Foreman (TEN) – While fantasy waiver wires were busy fighting over Adrian Peterson, it’s been Foreman who was the busier of the two. Peterson ran for 21 yards on eight carries and lost a yard on his one catch. Foreman ran 11 times for 30 yards and gained 48 yards on his two catches in the win over the Saints.

QB Cam Newton (CAR) – He just signed  with the Panthers in the middle of last week and was surprisingly active on Sunday. P.J. Walker started and threw for 167 yards on his 22-of-29 day with one interception. But Newton trotted on to throw three passes and connected with Robbie Anderson for a 2-yard touchdown. Newton also ran the ball three times for 14 yards and a touchdown, looking very much like it was old times again when he faked the handoff to the left  and ran to the right for the score. The expectation is that Newton resumes as the starter as of this week when they host Washington.

TE Gerald Everett (SEA) – He led the Seahawks in receiving in the loss at the Packers when he caught eight passes for 63 yards for a season-high. Everett hasn’t scored since the season opener, but his four road games in the seven that he’s played have all been more productive than when at home. Things go worse away from Seattle, and Everett is more  frequently used.

Huddle player of the week

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)  –  The rookie is one of the most exciting players in the NFL, but only in a sense you can never quite be sure if he’ll even be active, let alone be allowed a lot of touches. And there’s that every-play tension knowing that if he fumbles, no one sees him again for a few weeks. Stevenson became the top fantasy running back this week when Damien Harris was out with a concussion. The rookie rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries, caught four passes for 14 yards and scored two touchdowns. And he didn’t even play in the latter half of the fourth quarter.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Trevor Siemian 298 2 QB Russell Wilson 193 0
RB Matt Breida 50 2 RB Myles Gaskin 45 0
RB AJ  Dillon 128 2 RB Javonte Williams 49 0
WR DeAndre Carter 60 1 WR AJ Green 4 0
WR Kendrick Bourne 141 1 WR AJ Brown 23 0
WR Jamal Agnew 79 1 WR Mike Williams 33 0
TE Hunter Henry 37 2 TE T.J. Hockerson nope 0
PK Zane Gonzalez   2 XP  4 FG PK Jason Meyers  zero
Huddle Fantasy Points = 141 Huddle Fantasy Points = 22

Now get back to work…

Does Mac Jones get rattled? Kendrick Bourne has an interesting response

The rookie is calm, cool and collected in the pocket — at all times.

Mac Jones was calm, cool and collected in the New England Patriots’ 45-7 rout of the Cleveland Browns in Week 10.

The rookie threw 19 of 23 for 198 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Patriots’ offense past one of the league’s scariest defenses. Myles Garrett is the most dominant pass-rusher in the NFL and Jones didn’t appear to fear him in the slightest.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, Jones was only pressured on 3 of 25 drop backs against the team with the second-highest amount of quarterback pressures per game. It may have seemed like the gameplan and pieces around Jones that kept him from being rattled, but Kendrick Bourne says otherwise.

Does the rookie ever get rattled?

“Mac always looks poised,” Bourne said. “I don’t know what it is. He’s driven differently, he’s so poised. That mindset can take you far in this league. He’s good at being in the moment.”

The Patriots are now 6-4 and riding a four-game win streak into a Thursday night matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (4-5).

[listicle id=114792]

Winners and losers from Patriots’ phenomenal win over Browns

Spoiler alert: There’s no losers from this game.

The New England Patriots are back.

Bill Belichick’s team improved to 6-4 on the season and pushed the win streak to four games with a dominant 45-7 win over the Cleveland Browns at home. Mac Jones was lights out the entire game and Rhamondre Stevenson stepped right into Damien Harris’ place as the lead back.

The trenches on both sides of the ball were imperative for the Patriots so that everyone else could freely do their job. The offensive line was commanding the entire game and gave Jones a clean pocket to work with, while clearing the way for Stevenson. The defensive line pressured Baker Mayfield, and Case Keenum, the entire game.

Here’s the winners and losers from the game — and, there’s no losers for the Patriots.

This touchdown was the best throw of Mac Jones’ career

Kendrick Bourne made a leaping touchdown grab for his third of the season.

With the Nerw England Patriots already holding an advantage over the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and quarterback Mac Jones connected on a perfectly-placed touchdown throw.

Catching the ball over two defenders, Bourne leaped high and managed to hold on to the football. On what was a bullet pass from Jones, the touchdown extended the New England lead to 21-7. For the wide receiver, that was his third touchdown of the season and his first since October 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. With Jones putting the ball only where Bourne can catch it, the receiver managed to make the pass over cornerback Troy Hill and safety John Johnson. It was Jones’ most impressive throw of his young career.

Here’s a look at the play.

This marked Jones’ second touchdown of the day, and put New England in the driver’s seat of the game with halftime looming.

[lawrence-related id=114696]

Patriots vs. Chargers 2021 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=ZDOqnjLXey-1583293-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

The New England Patriots (3-4) are hitting the road to take on the Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) in Week 8.

Mac Jones and the Patriots are riding momentum from a 54-13 rout of the New York Jets. Jones had his first 300-yard game and the running backs totaled five touchdowns, which will be useful against the Chargers who have the second-worst rush defense. Jonathan Jones is out for the season and the Patriots’ secondary is the biggest concern.

Justin Herbert is becoming one of the league’s most explosive quarterbacks and he’ll cause issues for the Patriots and the aforementioned secondary. The Chargers are at home and coming off a bye week — so Bill Belichick will have his hands full.

Here’s how to watch:

Game information:

New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers

Sunday, Oct. 31, 4:05 p.m. ET

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Live stream:

FuboTV (try it free).

Television channels:

CBS

WBZ-TV Channel 4

Broadcasters:

Ian Eagle (play-by-play)

Charles Davis (play-by-play)

Evan Washburn (sideline)

Radio:

98.5 The Sports Hub

Betting odds (Per Tipico Sportsbook):

  • Money line: Patriots +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Chargers -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Patriots +5.5, -108 (bet $108 to win $100) | Chargers -5.5, -112 (bet $112 to win $100)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 48.5, O: -108 (bet $108 to win $100) | U: -112 (bet $112 to win $100)

Weather:

66 degrees

Here’s how 2021 Patriots have earned respect from Bill Belichick

Despite the record, Bill Belichick appreciates the current group he has in Foxborough.

The New England Patriots showed real potential in the 54-13 rout of the New York Jets in Week 7.

Despite the fact it was the one-win Jets, there were still many positives to take away from the game — especially given the fact that New York hasn’t allowed more than 30 points scored all season before this week.

Mac Jones continues to improve and he had an excellent outing, throwing 24 of 36 for 307 yards (his first career 300-yard game) and two touchdowns. Kendrick Bourne and Damien Harris are finding their way in this offense and the defense is making timely plays to create turnovers and create chaos.

The 3-4 Patriots are finding their identity and Bill Belichick respects them entirely for it.

“I really have a lot of respect for these guys,” Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “They come to work every day. We’ve improved every day, really every week. We’re far from perfect and far from where we need to be, but we’re heading in the right direction. Again, I have a lot of respect, the guys have had a couple of weeks where it’s been tough, but they’ve showed a lot of mental toughness and resilience to keep showing up and working hard and getting better. That’s what you want as a coach to see your team work hard and improve. And they’ve done that.”

As for Jones, Belichick gave him the due credit.

“Well, I’d say about the whole team it is really true for Mac as well, he’s continued to get better every week and learned from practice experiences and game experiences,” he said. “We’ll just keep going. There’s a lot to see in this league. You get a lot of different looks, a lot of great players, great coaches that really challenge us every week. It’s always a little bit different and it will certainly be a challenge this week with the Chargers and Coach [Brendan] Staley. But, we’ll have to just continue to put in our preparation, our work and [Mac] does that very well. I think that’s why he’s continued to improve.”

The Patriots are walking into a real challenge ahead with the Los Angeles Chargers next up on the docket.

[listicle id=113658]