Patriots vs. Bears Snap Counts: Will Kendrick Bourne be cut?

When the New England Patriots released their list of inactive players 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, one of the storylines was the return of KJ Osborn to the lineup. The free agency pickup, who was considered a trade candidate before the deadline earlier this week, apparently made the game-day roster as the fifth option on the depth chart.

However, he finished the game with the second-most snaps in his position group. Only Kayshon Boutte (62; 97%) was on the field more often than Osborn (29; 45%).

His rise in opportunities after playing just 31 total snaps over the last five games came at the expense of Kendrick Bourne. As the Patriots’ typical Z-receiver, the veteran didn’t play a single snap despite his place on the game day roster.

After the game, head coach Jerod Mayo claimed that “a lot” went into the decision to effectively sit Bourne against the Bears.

“Every time we put together the active roster we thought it was the best thing for us to give ourselves the best chance of winning,” he explained. “All of these guys bring certain skills to the game. We just didn’t know who would play more; it just happened that way.”

Since returning from the physically unable to perform list in early October, Bourne has steadily increased his workload. In the last three games before Sunday, he averaged nearly 48 snaps per game as one of New England’s starting wideouts.

On Sunday, that number fell to zero after some ups and downs in previous weeks. And yet you wouldn’t know it when you watch Bourne interact with his teammates: he was his usual cheerful self and displayed the leadership qualities the team covets.

“Even though Bourne didn’t play today, he was the first one to smile when I walked into the locker room and I’ve always appreciated that, just his energy and enthusiasm,” Mayo said. “Same goes for KJ and the rest of these guys. Sometimes, even when they’re inactive, just the excitement for their teammates.”

So what’s going on with Bourne? On Sunday, the team reportedly placed an emphasis on utilizing its younger talent at wide receiver; Ja’Lynn Polk, another Z-type wideout, also played 26 snaps (41%) at the position. Of course, that doesn’t explain why the 27-year-old Osborn suddenly seems to have overtaken the 29-year-old Bourne in depth.

Until concrete answers follow next week from either the team or the player deployment, the answer will therefore remain in the dark.

Here’s our full snap count report from the Patriots’ 19-3 win over the Bears.

attack

Total snapshots: 64 | Time on field: 31:26

QB Drake Maye (64; 100%), LT Vederian Lowe (64; 100%), LG Michael Jordan (64; 100%), C Ben Brown (64; 100%), RG Michael Onwenu (64; 100%), RT Demontrey Jacobs (64; 100%), WR Kayshon Boutte (62; 97%), TE Hunter Henry (57; 89). %), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (45; 70%), TE Austin Hooper (41; 64%), WR KJ Osborn (29; 45%), WR DeMario Douglas (27; 42%), WR Ja’Lynn Polk (26 ; 41%), RB JaMycal Hasty (12; 19%), RB Antonio Gibson (7; 11%), OL/TE/FB Sidy Sow (6; 9%), WR Javon Baker (4; 6%), TE Jaheim Bell (2; 3%), TE Mitchell Wilcox (1; 2%), OL/TE Layden Robinson (1; 2%)

*denotes the starter

The Patriots added some stability to their offensive line, starting the Vederian Lowe-Michael Jordan-Ben Brown-Michael Onwenu-Demontrey Jacobs group for the third time this season after Weeks 6 and 8. The only lineup combination to start more than one game Generally good, although there’s no telling what the team’s coaching staff will do when Cole Strange returns from the PUP list.

Elsewhere, the Patriots leaned heavily into two-tight end territory. While Hunter Henry played his usual high number of snaps, Austin Hooper was on the field with a season-high 41 snaps (64%). He also had his most productive day as a receiver, gaining 64 yards on three catches.

Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson continues to carry the load at running back. JaMycal Hasty, meanwhile, appears to have overtaken Antonio Gibson as the No. 2 position at the position, whose workload continued to plummet to a season-low seven snaps.

defense

Total snapshots: 60 | Time on field: 26:07

LB Jahlani Tavai (60; 100%), CB Christian Gonzalez (60; 100%), ED Anfernee Jennings (56; 93%), DE/ED Keion White (54; 90%), CB/S Jonathan Jones (52; 87%), S Jaylinn Hawkins (49; 82%), DT Daniel Ekuale (41; 68%), CB Marcus Jones (39; 65). %), S Dell Pettus (38; 63%), DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (35; 58%), DT Davon Godchaux (29; 48%), DE/ED Deatrich Wise Jr. (28; 47%), LB Sione Takitaki (28; 47%), S Marte Mapu (24; 40%), CB Isaiah Bolden (12; 20%), LB Joe Giles-Harris (8; 13%), DT Jaquelin Roy (7; 12%), LB Curtis Jacobs (6; 10%), S Brenden Schooler (5; 8%), ED Ochaun Mathis (5; 8%)

*denotes the starter

The Longhorn package led by Brenden Schooler naturally garnered attention during and after the game, but the core special teams player was only on the field for five snaps that day. However, he made the most of it and ended his career with his first sack.

At the other end of the playing time spectrum are the usual suspects. Players like Jahlani Tavai, Christian Gonzalez and Anfernee Jennings continue to play a heavy workload of over 90 percent. Also in that group Sunday – for the first time in his career – were second-year defensive lineman Keion White; With Tavai once again focusing primarily on off-ball duties, he was the primary advantage over Jennings.

Another player who saw increasing opportunities was Jonathan Jones. The veteran competed across the entire lineup against the Bears’ three-receiver sets, with his increase in safety snaps being the most notable development: Jones’ ability to wear multiple hats paired with Marco Wilson serving as the No. 1 cornerback option. 4 looks solid, this allows the team to move him where he fits best.

That was certain against the Bears. With Kyle Dugger sidelined, he joined a rotation consisting of Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus and Marte Mapu – the latter playing a lower percentage of snaps than usual. It is unknown if this was due to a game plan or limited exposure, but the second-year DB was limited in playing time due to a neck injury.

Davon Godchaux also didn’t play his usual high number of snaps. The starting defensive tackle finished with fewer snaps than Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. Why? The fact that the Bears had to catch up later may have played a role.

Special teams

Total snapshots: 27 | Time on field: 2:27

S Brenden Schooler (22; 81%), ED Ochaun Mathis (22; 81%), LB Joe Giles-Harris (19; 70%), LB Curtis Jacobs (17; 63%), S Jaylinn Hawkins (16; 59%) ), CB Marcellas Dial Jr. (16; 59%), LB Jahlani Tavai (13; 48%), S Dell Pettus (13; 48%), TE Jaheim Bell (11; 41%), TE Mitchell Wilcox (11; 41%), CB Isaiah Bolden (11; 41%), P/H Bryce Baringer (11; 41%), LS Joe Cardona ( 11; 41%), DE Deatrich Wise Jr. (10; 37%), K Joey Slye (10; 37%), LB Sione Takitaki (9; 33%); CB/PR Marcus Jones (8; 30%), CB Marco Wilson (8; 30%), TE Austin Hooper (6; 22%), C Ben Brown (5; 19%), OT Demontrey Jacobs (5; 19%) ), G Michael Jordan (5; 19%), G Michael Onwenu (5; 19%), OL Sidy Sow (5; 19%), WR/KR Javon Baker (5; 19%), DT Daniel Ekuale (5; 19%), DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (5; 19%), OL Lecitus Smith (5; 19%), RB JaMycal Hasty (4; 15%), RB/KR Antonio Gibson (2; 7%), CB Jonathan Jones (1; 4%), S Marte Mapu (1; 4%)

There were a few changes to New England’s special teams usage on Sunday, with two areas in particular standing out.

The first is the kickoff return job. While both of Chicago’s kickoffs ended as touchbacks, the return setup looked different: Javon Baker was joined by Antonio Gibson as the two players who lined up on the return spots; JaMycal Hasty previously held this role.

Additionally, the Patriots had to replace Raekwon McMillan after the core special teams player was released on Friday. To fill his role, Joe Giles-Harris was brought in from the training squad as a standard player. He appears to be a potential candidate for inclusion in the active squad once his only remaining opportunity for promotion is taken advantage of.

Not played

QB Jacoby Brissett, WR Kendrick Bourne

In addition to the aforementioned Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots also kept backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett on the sidelines throughout the game. The former starter still leads the team in total QB snaps for 10 weeks, but that will change over the next two weeks.

Inactive

S Kyle Dugger, LB Christian Elliss, DT Eric Johnson, QB Joe Milton III, ED Yannick Ngakoue, OL Tyrese Robinson, WR Tyquan Thornton

The Patriots’ list of inactive players on Sunday included some notable names, but no real surprises. Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Christian Elliss (abdomen) were both sidelined with injuries, Yannick Ngakoue was claimed off waivers less than 48 hours before kickoff, and the other inactives were all healthy scratches and available for selection at the bottom of the roster.