New England Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne didn’t get much in the way of work during the first preseason game. But in that small sample size, Bourne seems to have come away unhappy.
Bourne had two targets for one 11-yard catch. The incomplete target was a third down when quarterback Mac Jones looked for Bourne on a slant route, which got disrupted by physical cornerback play from Washington. Bourne played just 16 offensive snaps (27%).
“Honestly, I didn’t like how I played, man,” Bourne told reporters on Sunday after practice. “Definitely a couple plays I want to take back, the third down, I just ran a bad route. Just was kind of rushing everything, overthinking. I’m definitely appreciative of preseason and taking it for what it is. It easily could have been another COVID year and I wouldn’t have had that, so just grateful for that. And not being so much of a pressure game. It was just a getting-the-jitters-out and stuff like that. I appreciate preseason just because of that.”
Bourne is in the mix to serve as one of the team’s starters at receiver after they signed him in free agency for three years and $15 million. The Patriots put Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry in for the opening drive with starters, including quarterback Cam Newton. Meyers put together an impressive game, while Harry clearly struggled. Receiver Nelson Agholor, who was not healthy enough to play, is also expected to compete for the No. 1 receiver job.
With such a competitive group, Bourne may not have been happy with the film he put together.
“I’m my biggest critic. I don’t want to lose, not one time,” he said. “That’s how you have to be here. We want to win every single time, we want to win every rep. Me not winning my four reps that I had, it really pissed me off. Next game I’m coming with a vengeance.”
New England is practicing with the Philadelphia Eagles this week, and the two teams will match up in preseason Week 2 on Thursday night.
