Kendrick Bourne Injury Update is Worst-Case Scenario for Patriots

Almost nothing has gone right for the New England Patriots this year, especially on the injury front. The defense and offensive line were already depleted by injuries heading into Week 8, and now the receiving corps is down several key members as well after Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

That includes wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who received a devastating injury update on Monday.

Kendrick Bourne Injury Update

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on Monday morning that Bourne suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 and will miss the rest of the season.

Bourne suffered the injury after landing awkwardly on his knee early in the fourth quarter on Sunday. The initial hope was that it was an MCL sprain, but the injury didn't look good when it happened. Even Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel came over to check on Bourne, indicating that it was pretty serious.

Bourne was forced to leave the game early and now will not play again the rest of the season.

This is a crushing blow for the Patriots, as Bourne has easily been their best wide receiver this year. He leads the team by wide margins in targets (55), catches (37), receiving yards (406) and touchdown catches (4).

Bourne was having another strong game in Week 8 before going down, too, hauling in 3-of-4 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown.

With DeVante Parker suffering a concussion in Week 8 as well, New England is now severely shorthanded at wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster will need to step up as the established veteran at the position, while rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte should be more involved. Look for Tyquan Thornton to also get some run after being a healthy scratch in Week 8, and we could even see Malik Cunningham running some routes.

Without Bourne, however, it's hard to imagine the Patriots' passing attack having much success the rest of the way. Despite Bourne's strong production, New England ranks 21st in passing yards per game, 21st in passing touchdowns and 24th in net yards per attempt.

With the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday, it's officially time for the Patriots to wave the white flag.

Even in the face of adversity, the New England Patriots press on, and so can their loyal fans. With BetMGM's exclusive offer for Chowder and Champions readers, you can get $200 guaranteed, whether your bet wins or loses — just wager $10 to unlock the bonus. So whether you're backing the rookies to step up in Kendrick Bourne's absence or betting against your beloved Patriots, make the game even more exciting with BetMGM.

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