Getty Kendrick Bourne's potential replacement for the New England Patriots is using being snubbed against the Miami Dolphins as "fuel."
Losing Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker to injury further weakens an already suspect group of wide receivers for the New England Patriots. Fortunately, potential replacement Tyquan Thornton is motivated to help after being snubbed for Week 8’s 31-17 defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
Being inactive as a healthy scratch didn’t sit well with Thornton, per NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry: “Using it as fuel, being inactive in my hometown Miami. That’s something I (didn’t) like. But it is what it is. Gotta keep rolling with the punches so this week’s going to be a great one.”
A motivated Thornton rediscovering the skill that made him a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft would be timely for the Patriots. His re-emergence can give offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien one more option for replacing Bourne, who’s out for the season after tearing his ACL at Hard Rock Stadium.
O’Brien isn’t short of alternatives, including rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, along with former first-round pick Jalen Reagor. Super Bowl-winning veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster has been seldom used, but he has a knack for winning between the numbers.
The problem is no member of this trio is as versatile nor as dynamic as Bourne. Thornton could be if he can finally stay healthy.
Tyquan Thornton Can Thrive in Kendrick Bourne Role
Bourne was succeeding because O’Brien was drawing up plays to target him at every level of the field. The Patriots were moving Bourne across formations, aligning him in the slot for 98 snaps, according to Player Profiler.
Bourne also got eight deep targets. That’s in stark contrast to Thornton, who has “seen one deep target this year that fell incomplete.” per Perry.
Things were different last season when Thornton “was targeted 14 times at least 20 yards down the field.” He snagged one of those targets for 29 yards against the Dolphins.
Thornton has the deep speed O’Brien and quarterback Mac Jones need to expand the passing game. The former Baylor standout can also work from the slot and even be a factor in the running game.
This rushing touchdown against the Cleveland Browns showed how effective Thornton can be on the ground.
Bourne was originally signed from the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 to be this kind of dual-threat playmaker. It took time, but Bourne eventually made the grade.
Thornton hasn’t, although O’Brien is willing to cut the 23-year-old some slack: “Tyquan has really worked hard. He was injured. I think injuries have been something that, in his brief career, have held him back a little bit. And I think when you get injured and you’re out for as long as he has been through no fault of his own — no fault of his own — but because of the fact that you missed time, it’s hard to get back into the lineup right away,” per Michael Hurley of WBZ.com Sports.
Losing 10 games to shoulder and knee injuries has naturally stunted Thornton’s progress. He can use the opportunity afforded by Bourne and Parker being on the shelf to finally kickstart his pro career.
Thornton will also be helped by the attention paid to another Pats’ wide receiver.
Demario Douglas Emergence Good News for Tyquan Thornton
Douglas is only a sixth-round pick, but he’s already seeing double coverage. The Dolphins crowded him, leaving Douglas surprised.
He expressed his shock to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels: “I noticed it down in the goal line when they doubled me. That’s when I realized, ‘Oh, snap.’ I got doubled in college, but I didn’t think I’d get doubled this soon in the league. I’ve got to watch this film and get back on to the next game.”
The extra attention might have caught Douglas off guard, but it did help open the field for other receivers. Bourne profited on this play highlighted by Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
Thornton should view a play like this as his best chance to contribute right away. He’s right to be unhappy about being left out in Miami, but the omission can be the necessary wake-up call for a highly touted draft pick the Patriots are still waiting to see reach his potential.
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