Mike ReissESPN Editor6 minute reading
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick thoughts and notes on the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Intrigue with Boutte: Rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was hoping to avoid attracting a horde of media to his locker last week. So he pointed to a far, hidden corner of the locker room as a place where he would be more comfortable for an interview, and led a reporter in that direction.
LSU’s sixth-round pick thought he’d be a popular topic after being a leading receiver Kendrick Bourne was lost for the season with a torn ACL and with a veteran DeVante Parker still in concussion protocol, but something still seemed off to him.
“My main thing is, ‘I haven’t played since the first week, so I feel like I haven’t done anything.’ So there’s nothing to say,” he said while sitting in an empty locker for practice squad players near one of the exits. “Maybe when I do something, we can talk. Right now, there’s really nothing.”
The Patriots could have something in Boutte, and in a disappointing 2-6 season, his status is among the team’s intriguing storylines heading into Sunday’s home game against the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
He has been inactive since playing 55 snaps in a season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. On the last of them, he failed to get a second foot down the sideline as a potential game-winning drive stalled on fourth down. Putting Boutte on the ice led some to wonder if he had fallen out of favor with coach Bill Belichick because of that last play. Boutte, however, never believed that to be the case.
“I don’t feel like I’m in the doghouse,” he said. “Looking back on the first game, I know I can open up. I know how to create separation. That’s why I’m comfortable with myself.
“I didn’t step in, but you know, watching him and watching him again, I understood that the way (cornerback Josh Jobe) placed his hand and pushed, that’s why. Once I looked at that and understood, I was more comfortable with myself and I didn’t beat myself up about it.”
A likely explanation for Boutte’s seven-game disappearance is that he was called into action earlier than expected when Parker missed the first game with a knee injury and the team did not have a other options outside.
When Parker returned the following week, and the faster and more experienced Jalen Reagor gained momentum after joining the team at the end of training camp, it allowed the coaching staff to return to their plan to give Boutte more time to develop behind the scenes.
“I’ve always said that for a rookie receiver, it’s a very difficult transition, especially on the perimeter,” offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said of Boutte last week. “In college football you don’t always see the same type of media coverage as you do in professional football, so sometimes the transition takes a little longer, but Kayshon has worked very hard and shown glimpses of what he maybe. I believe in him and I believe he has a bright future.”
O’Brien is not alone. Boutte, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, was a four-star recruit, according to Scouts Inc., out of Westgate (La.) High School and chose to attend LSU over several other SEC schools.
He had some early flashes of brilliance – including a game as a freshman against Mississippi in which he totaled 14 receptions for 308 yards and three touchdowns – before a combination of injuries and being called up by coach Brian Kelly for lack of focus and commitment has led to a downward trajectory. He ultimately declared himself a candidate for the NFL Draft after initially declaring his intention to return to LSU in 2023.
Because Boutte was still available when the Patriots were on the clock in the sixth round (No. 187), Belichick, along with director of player personnel Matt Groh & Co., deemed it a reasonable place to roll the dice on its potential.
Now the Patriots enter Sunday with Reagor, rookie slot Demario “Pop” Douglas and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster at the top of the wide receiver depth chart. Next up is the 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton (foot injury permitting) and Boutte, with Belichick noting Friday that it was probably Boutte’s best week of practice.
Boutte said he was motivated to let Bourne and Parker know he could help fill their voids, and other teammates have noticed his work over the past week.
“This guy, he can play anywhere on the field,” Smith-Schuster said. “He can move. Very fast. Great hands. He’s getting better every day.”
2. Thornton’s injuries: Three days after O’Brien pointed out the obvious that injuries have slowed Thornton’s development, Baylor’s 2022 second-round pick appeared on the injury report again Friday, this time due of a foot problem. Thornton’s thin frame, weighing 185 pounds, caused concern in some circles when the Patriots traded up to select him. Fair or not, those who sounded the alarm sound prophetic as he missed time with collarbone (preseason/regular season 2022), hamstring (spring 2023) and back ailments. shoulder (2023 training camp/regular season)…and now maybe his foot. .
3. ROI of OT: The two greats of the Patriots off-season free agent signings at offensive tackle — Riley Reiff (knee) and Calvin Anderson (illness) – are now on injured reserve. Reiff (1 year, $5 million, with $4.15 million guaranteed) only played one game and Anderson (2 years, $7 million, with $4 million guaranteed) didn’t. played only two. Not close to the return on investment the club was counting on in what currently appears to be a rather unfortunate piece of work in the free agent market (e.g. the addition of Smith-Schuster following the re-signing Jacob Meyers).
4. They said it: “Sunday, at halftime, it will be halfway through the season. So there’s still the whole second half of everything this year and a lot of opportunities. … I was on a (Dolphins) team ago few years that was 1-7, and we won seven times in a row, and before you know it, we’re back on the winning side. That’s not to say that’s always the case, but there “There’s so much football out there that you have to do your best to move forward every week.” – Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki
5. Germany plans: The Dolphins, who play the Chiefs in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network), spent the week there after traveling on Monday. The Chiefs traveled Thursday, which is similar to the route the Patriots plan to take this week in preparation for the Nov. 12 game against the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium. That means the Patriots will have most of their game plan installed and completed the majority of their practice time before boarding the flight. The Colts are doing the same thing.
6. Austin’s arrival: Rookie cornerback Alex Austin, who signed with the Patriots on Thursday, had made a solid behind-the-scenes impression on the Texans as a developmental option on the perimeter, but found himself caught in a roster crisis due to a rash of injuries along the offensive line. That led him to New England, which had an open roster spot and a desire to build more depth at the position. Austin played sparingly in three games for Houston, with Belichick noting his long preseason streak (77 snaps, 8 tackles, 1 pass defended) as a key factor in evaluating the team.
7. Refusal of kick-off: Captain of the Patriots Matthew Slater pointed out that the team has only covered eight kickoffs in eight games this season and returned seven of them. For context, the team had covered 17 kickoffs to this point last season, while by returning 18. All of this reflects Slater’s growing belief that the NFL wants to eliminate the game. “It’s very disappointing,” he said.
8. Run D: Besides winning as the top priority, a popular topic among defensive linemen in the locker room is how the unit is doing against the run. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux asked a reporter about last week’s rankings, which highlighted one of the team’s bright spots: The Pats are second in the NFL in yards allowed per carry (3.4) and ninth for average rushing yards allowed per game (97.9).
9. Did you know? — First part : Commanders coach Ron Rivera is 2-0 all-time against Belichick, with wins coming in 2013 and 2017 during his tenure with the Panthers.
10. Did you know? — Second part: The Patriots are 0-4 outside of AFC East play this season and have suffered six straight non-division losses dating back to last season. It was the team’s longest such streak since seven straight losses in 1995.
