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Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will make his return Sunday against the Dolphins. Bourne spent the first four games on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) while recovering from a torn ACL that happened last October. The Patriots’ receiver was on track to record nearly 1,000 yards last season, leading the team with 37 receptions for 406 yards and five touchdowns. His injury left a big hole in the New England offense. Bourne will look to boost a passing game that ranks last in the NFL with 112.3 yards per game.
An Injury Riddled Matchup
Even though the Patriots are getting Kendrick Bourne back, they have several other injuries. The biggest problem is their offensive line where center David Andrews is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Left tackle Vederian Lowe is questionable with a knee injury while backup left tackle Caedan Wallace is on injured reserve. These aren’t the only injuries to the Pats offensive line but they are the most major. If Lowe isn’t able to play on Sunday, the team will be seriously thin at left tackle as rookie Demontrey Jacobs would be next up.
Thankfully for the Patriots, they are going up against a banged-up Dolphins team as well. Tyler Huntley will start again at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson out. Safety Jordan Poyer is out and linebacker Jaelan Phillips recently suffered a season-ending knee injury. While Miami has a dynamic duo at wide receiver with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, their performance has been stifled without Tagovailoa throwing to them. Hill has just seven receptions for 63 yards and zero touchdowns in the two games since Tua went out. Waddle has eight receptions for 62 yards and no touchdowns as well. The key injuries to both teams will make this a tough game to watch.
Kendrick Bourne’s Outlook
While adding Kendrick Bourne to the Patriots’ receiver room in this game is exciting, it might not be as impactful as some might think. With New England being very thin on the offensive line, it seems unlikely that Jacoby Brissett will have much time to throw to Bourne or other receivers. Brissett has been sacked 15 times over the first four weeks and was brought down on six occasions last week against the 49ers.
Although he is a talented receiver, the fourth-year Patriot comes into this offense with low-level play from other wide receivers and an uninspiring quarterback. This is not a good situation to return to. He could take a little while to get readjusted under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. It is possible that Bourne could make some big plays but it is uncertain if his play will be enough to offset this otherwise lackluster offense. The success of Bourne or any other pass catcher depends on whether the offensive line can give Brissett enough time to get accurate throws off.
