Is New England Patriots Offense Doomed Without Leading Receiver?
The New England Patriots' offensive struggles are well-documented, and matters have only been made worse by the loss of leading receiver Kendrick Bourne, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in last Sunday's 31-17 defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
Bourne paced the Patriots in targets (55), receptions (37) and yards (408). The players in second place in each of those categories have 34, 25 and 238, respectively.
In essence, New England's passing game is missing its most productive target - but quarterback Mac Jones believes there are plenty of players capable of stepping up, and he's excited to see it play out leading up to Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders.
"I think this week of practice will be really good to see who wants it, who wants to go out there and compete and who wants to pay attention to the details and work to get on the same page, the spacing, the depth, the splits and all that stuff," Jones said. "I'm going to focus on helping them understand how important that is for me to have success, and that ultimately gives them success."
Jones pointed to New England's youth at receiver, where rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte join second-year pro Tyquan Thornton to give offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien a trio of players looking to emerge.
However, Jones said regardless of whether it's an older or younger receiver, he just wants them to be free and understand what he sees to ensure they're on the same page.
Watching successful offenses around the NFL has shown Jones the significance of getting the ball out on time. Routes and spacing play a big part in this, and Jones is focused on stressing this message.
"I have a lot of trust in everybody," Jones said. "I want to make sure that as the quarterback, they understand how important it is for the timing of each play."
The loss of Bourne is difficult off the field, too. He brings energy to New England's sideline and is a strong leader.
But with his absence comes opportunity, Jones said, and there's a chance to create explosive plays for an offense that currently ranks second worst in the league in scoring at 14.8 points per game.
New England Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne and quarterback Mac Jones illustrated chemistry on and off the gridiron this fall.
Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Thornton, who began the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, has the type of speed to do exactly that, though he's been limited to a small role since returning in Week 6.
In two games, Thornton's caught a pair of passes for eight yards. He was a healthy scratch against the Dolphins.
And yet, Jones believes Thornton has the skill set to capitalize on a potential increase in snaps following Bourne's injury, even if his season hasn't gone as many hoped.
"I've always enjoyed playing with really fast receivers," Jones said. "That's a quarterback's favorite thing, right? You have guys that can threaten the defense vertically, and the really good ones are the ones who can have multiple routes, as well. So, I think Tyquan definitely has that, and he has the right mindset right now.
"I'm looking forward to seeing him progress and grow, for sure."
It's a similar story for Douglas, who's caught 19 passes for 222 yards in his rookie campaign and is fresh off a career-high five receptions against Miami.
"Have a lot of respect for him and how he works," Jones said. "For him, just stay consistent and don't listen to any noise, good or bad, and just be Pop, right? Like I always talk about, I know where he comes from. I watched him play football when he was growing up. He was the quickest, fastest guy on the field, and you can tell.
"I have a lot of respect for him and want to grow with him, for sure."
With Bourne no longer in the picture, New England's offense is simply facing another clear it has to hurdle - but Jones believes the talent is there to put it all together and take steps in the right direction.
The Patriots will attempt to do exactly that Sunday, when they'll host the Commanders for a 1 p.m. EST kickoff inside Gillette Stadium.
