Receivers Have A Lot To Say About The Patriots Offense

Kendrick Bourne had the longest reception of the Patriots season on Sunday, taking a pass from Mac Jones seventy five yards for a score. On the previous drive, Bourne was targeted by Jones and the pass went for a pick six. Bourne admitted that he didn't run the proper route and it led to him not being where he was supposed to be. 

Bourne continued, “And then that play, it’s like, what kind of mindset do you have? Are you going to go to the sideline and cry or throw your helmet or yell at Mac? Is it his fault? But I literally took it all (on) myself. I was supposed to run a three-step slant. (The defense was) kind of all over the place, so I was like, I’m about to just go in the window. But that goes away from my technique."

That interception play is just one of many times this season where the Patriots have shot themselves in the foot and Bourne knows it.

Bourne continued, “We’re doing the wrong things at crucial times. It’s nothing crazy, but it affects the result of the play. Through the game, I thought we were playing well, but when we get to the end or a crucial drive, we’ve just got to execute better.”

Bourne isn't the only receiver taking issue with the Patriots. Former Patriots wideout Julian Edelman had some choice words for the Patriots.

Edelman said, “The Patriots just aren’t the Patriots right now, and it hurts me to say this. They are not the Patriots. We are so used to seeing the last 20 years  — and I know there’s different players, and this, that, but there’s still a group of guys in there that know how they should play. They need to start playing mistake-free football. They’ve had a handful of plays this year where they if they would have went their way, if they would have taken care of the football, if they didn’t get two blocked punts — hasn’t been done since ’93 in New England), if they would have not thrown an interception, if the linemen didn’t let the quarterback have guys running at him free … . I’m a little venting right now.”

Edelman got interrupted and the network pushed on so Edelman finished with  “There needs to be some accountability in those rooms.”

As for Bourne who just took the blame for the pick six on Sunday, he also had something to say that the Patriots maybe wish he didn't. Referring to a comment he made about Mac Jones. Bourne said the following comparing to Jimmy G.

“Mac, he’s throwing it hard, but when you catch it, it’s like a pillow, man. I could definitely say that dude – I don’t know, he’s special, man. Jimmy’s more – he’s got a rifle, and it comes in harder, so that’s the difference, I would say, about the two," said Bourne.

That was a knock on Mac Jones's velocity. Scouting reports on Jones coming out of the draft were very insulting to Mac, saying he had to throw the ball harder to get the ball to where he wanted it to go compared to most quarterbacks. They basically all said that Jones was a weak armed quarterback. It might not of been Bourne's intent but it's the sentiments he echoed.

There are some criticizing Bill Belichick for decisions he's made with the offense. Some of the media has stated that Bill Belichick doesn't trust the offense. With what Edelman and Bourne said, maybe that's true and why Belichick has been conservative when in years past he would've been aggressive with a middle aged quarterback at the helm.