New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) against the Green Bay Packers during their football game on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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Kendrick Bourne continues to struggle to get on the field for the Patriots.

Bourne played just 22 snaps on offense for the Pats in Sunday’s 27-24 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers, making two catches for 23 yards and adding one carry on a reverse for 15 yards. He was used mainly as a pure passing-game receiver, with a 13-to-9 snap ratio in passes to runs. Bourne played every snap on two separate drives, but his usage was otherwise sporadic.

In the run game, the Patriots clearly prefer Lil’Jordan Humphrey over Bourne, and even Nelson Agholor. Humphrey played 30 snaps, 23 of them running plays, and finished with one catch on one target for nine yards. DeVante Parker (56 snaps) and Agholor (38 snaps) led the way in terms of workload.

Here are the complete offensive snaps from the Patriots’ loss to the Packers. Note that these are unofficial numbers as tracked by us at 985TheSportshub.com. But they are expected to be close, if not exact, to the final totals.

DeVante Parker: 56
Hunter Henry: 49
Nelson Agholor: 38
Lil’Jordan Humphrey: 30
Rhamondre Stevenson: 29
Damien Harris: 29
Kendrick Bourne: 22
Jonnu Smith: 17
Marcus Cannon (as tight end): 15

UPDATE: The official snap counts have Bourne at 26 snaps, including penalties, and Humphrey at 31.)

Marcus Cannon had a strong game in his 2022 debut for the Patriots, and his second stint with the team. He replaced Isaiah Wynn as the primary right tackle in the second half, and was effective as an extra tight end in heavier personnel packages.

Among the actual tight ends, Hunter Henry made just two catches on four targets for 13 yards in the game, despite playing the second-most snaps at 49. He did have to play a lot as an in-line blocker in the second half, with the Patriots leaning on the run and Jonnu Smith exiting the game due to injury. But in the passing game, Henry has been surprisingly quiet to start the season.

Oct 2, 2022; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker (1) and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrate following a touchdown during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Parker made just two catches, despite playing the most snaps, but one of them happened to be the single biggest play by a wide receiver in the game. Parker caught a 25-yard pass from rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe in the third quarter, but was almost invisible otherwise.

Despite playing the fewest snaps at receiver, again, Bourne can at least say he was considered a key piece of the Patriots’ third-down offense on Sunday. Bourne was on the field for nine of the Patriots’ 11 snaps on third down. The Pats favored a third-down package of Rhamondre Stevenson, Henry, Parker, Agholor, and Bourne, fielding them for seven of 11 snaps.

Admittedly, it’s tough to argue that the Patriots would have a better record than 1-3 if they’d been playing Bourne more.  But his low usage continues to be one of the most curious developments of the 2022 season. He’s looked effective when called upon in the passing game, but can’t seem to build on it. It’s especially disconcerting for Bourne that he still can’t see an increased workload, even with Jakobi Meyers missing the last two games with a knee injury.

It’ll be surprising if Bourne carves out more of a role on the field when the Patriots run the ball, but he should almost certainly see more snaps and targets when they throw. For whatever reason, he has yet to build momentum toward a positive change.

We’ll continue to keep you covered throughout football season. Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.