It's been two games since Kendrick Bourne returned off of the PUP list and while he continues to ramp up his play time and contributions, Bourne's presence back in the lineup has been a welcome one for the Patriots as they look to get their offense in sync around rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

"I'm still definitely ramping up," said Bourne on Thursday. "I felt way more free last week [against Houston]. I felt like my awareness was up to par in the first game. I just didn't really feel who was around me."

One catch for six yards against Miami on 25 percent of the snaps grew to two catches for nine yards on 50 percent of the snaps against the Texans for Bourne as he finds his stride after suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2023. Now paired with Maye, Bourne and the coaches see high potential from the quarterback who is preparing to start the second game of his young career this Sunday in London against the Jaguars.

Maye is growing before their eyes and it bodes well as his most experienced receiver gets up to speed.

"We had a period yesterday, another start fast period against our defense, good on good in the red zone," said offensive coordinator AlexVan Pelt. "I didn't give [Drake] an answer for a zero blitz look that the defense presented, and he got himself out of trouble with the right protection adjustment and the route changed into a touchdown. So for me, wow, okay, he can get in there and he can protect himself. He knows the calls he needs to make."

"It's exciting, because he has to operate different than we do at receiver," said Bourne of the play from practice on Wednesday. "He has to see the full picture and to be able to do that at a young age is definitely impressive. So he gives us the best chance to get in the end zone. If he can locate where the blitz is coming from, it just helps him make the right decision. And then if the play breaks down and things like that, his ability also kicks in too. So it's just impressive that he can do that, and then if it doesn't play out clear within the time, he can scramble, use his legs, use his talent, and that's kind of how that play worked out yesterday."

Bourne's return has offered a boost, while second-year receivers Kayshon Boutte and Pop Douglas both turned in the best games of their careers against Houston. It's starting to come together but it's still a young group that must continue to fight through the inevitable ups and downs of a 17-game NFL season. For his part, Bourne is taking more of a leadership role after signing a three-year extension with the team this past offseason, mentoring rookie Ja'Lynn Polk through some early struggles to find his stride.

"Football is a battle so the more you can be clear in your mind and be free, in a sense, the more you play free," said Bourne of his advice to Polk on finding the right focus. "And even for myself, last week, I was struggling, because I just was my first game back, so I was just thinking a lot. And last game, I felt like I was playing free, and I felt faster. I felt more fluent.

"So I was just telling him, just play free, bro, it's gonna happen. Drops are gonna happen. Bad routes are gonna happen. Sometimes you might lose a route, but just keep going."

At 1-5 and facing a fellow 1-5 team, the Patriots have a chance to get back on the winning track in England. Last week they quickly fell into a 14-0 hole but continued to fight, ignoring the scoreboard and just trying to build a new offensive foundation one play at a time.

"We have to make the personal decision to like, 'Oh, we're just gonna play and see where we're at at the end,'" said Bourne. "But if we fall into the feeling sorry for ourselves playing victim, it's gonna be the same result. So it has to be a mindset change."

With so many young players starting to make contributions while Bourne approaches full strength, things could finally be on the upswing... not just for the season but for the foreseeable future.

"You know, the future's bright," said Bourne. "Everything is to play for the future. Play now, but everything has a plan for the future. That's how Eliot [Wolf] and Mayo think. So, if the players can understand these things we're building for the future, you know, I'm saying we're building our foundation. It's exciting."

Boutte Blossoming

After catching an electrifying 40-yard touchdown against the Texans, Kayshon Boutte has received plenty of praise this week from his teammates and coaches. After surviving a tough summer positional battle, Boutte has emerged to see his gameday role grow to where he played more snaps than any other receiver last Sunday against Houston.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt admitted early on the coaches were unsure if he could be a starter for the team but through hard work and focus, Boutte is now seeing the fruits of his labor.

"He's so locked in," said Bourne of Boutte. "He knows the playbook really well. He's impressive when he's answering questions in the meeting. You know, we're always competing, and he's answering questions fast. When coach asks what do we got on this, he's answering, he knows everybody's routes, and that's just things that he's built on."

Boutte should have earned another sizable role in this week's game against the Jags, as Van Pelt pointed out that while he might not be the biggest or fastest player in the group, he's separating himself with his actual ability to separate, combined with surehandedness.

"I think it's his route-running ability. He has a knack for separating in man coverage," said Van Pelt of Boutte's best traits. "Obviously, he can go deep, you saw that in the game the other day, and then his ball skills. He catches the ball very cleanly, you know, can't remember a drop he's had in our time together so very good with ball skills and creating separation at the top of the route."

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