FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tight-roped it down the right sideline in taking a short pass for an improbable 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter of the New England Patriots’ game against the visiting Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The play came on third-and-6 with 5:11 to play in the quarter, and gave the Patriots a 26-13 lead. Bourne caught the pass at the 37-yard line, on a shallow left-to-right crossing route, and then did the rest with his legs. He turned up field initially to ensure he’d get the first down, and then put a juke on defensive back Kristian Fulton as he darted toward the sideline.
At that point, it looked like Bourne’s journey might be over, heading out of bounds. But instead, he turned up the sideline at the 27-yard line, picking up a semi-block from fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers in the process. A stiff-arm on linebacker Jayon Brown at the 15-yard line kept one final defender at bay as Bourne raced into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.
With 37 yards after the catch, Bourne recorded his second touchdown catch this season with 35 or more yards after the catch. The only other players in the NFL this season with multiple receiving touchdowns with 35 or more yards after the catch are Deebo Samuel (49ers) and D’Andre Swift (Lions) – with two apiece.
Kendrick did THAT. @BournePoly11 | #ForeverNE
📺: @NFLonCBS / Patriots app pic.twitter.com/1ykMFOfI4T
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 28, 2021
As for how improbable the TD was, consider this from NFL Next Gen Stats: Bourne had a 0.3% chance of scoring a TD on the play, gaining 29 yards after the catch over what was expected on the play.