The New England Patriots’ bad season got worse on Sunday. They lost their best receiver Kendrick Bourne to a knee injury in their 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Bourne joined the Patriots this year and was having a great season. He had 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He was the only receiver that rookie quarterback Mac Jones could trust.
Bourne got hurt in the fourth quarter when he caught a 16-yard pass from Jones. Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard tackled him and he fell to the ground. He had to be taken off the field on a cart. NFL insider Mike Garafolo said on Twitter that Bourne tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.
#Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL, source says. Frustrating end to a promising season for the veteran receiver.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 30, 2023
“#Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL, source says. A frustrating end to a promising season for the veteran receiver,”
Garafolo
The Patriots are having a terrible season. They are 2-6 and third in their division. They have a hard time scoring points. They are near the bottom of the league in offense. They have two more games before their bye week, against the Chargers and the Ravens, who are both good teams.
Without Bourne, the Patriots will have to use Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, and N’Keal Harry as their main receivers. None of them have scored a touchdown this season. The team might also try to trade for a better receiver before the deadline on November 2, or draft one next year.
Some fans and experts think that the Patriots should start over and trade some of their older players, like cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and running back James White. But coach Bill Belichick does not seem to want to do that.
“We’re just focused on trying to improve and get better,“We have a lot of work to do.”
Belichick
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