The season-opener to the 2023 season was going about as well as one could hope for the Patriots.

New England was driving with a chance to win the game, trailing by five points in the fourth quarter. The Patriots overcame an early deficit and were standing toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring with the defending NFC Champion Eagles. Quarterback Mac Jones had thrown for 316 passing yards and three touchdowns to that point, a promising performance.

With the Patriots on the Philly 20-yard line, New England faced a 4th-and-11 on a do-or-die down with the game on the line. Jones dropped back and threw a pass at the sticks to rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte, who ran a good route to get open. However, Boutte could not get his second foot in bounds, and the pass was ruled incomplete, effectively ending the game with a 25-20 loss to the Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

After narrowly failing to convert a critical fourth down, Boutte didn't play again in his rookie season until Week 10 – eight straight games as a healthy scratch.

Boutte's early-career adversity in the NFL was nothing new for the sixth-round pick. The New Iberia, Louisiana native was a five-star high school recruit who stayed in-state to attend LSU. Following a breakout freshman season for the Tigers, Boutte was considered a first-round talent. However, he suffered a severe ankle injury during his sophomore year, derailing his college career. He then fell to the 187th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and struggled early with the Patriots. At one point, Boutte was in offseason trade rumors, adding another layer to his early pro struggles.

Despite those trials and tribulations, Boutte persevered to carve out a role as the Patriots starting "X" receiver. Over the first six weeks this season, he has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL on a per-target basis. Boutte leads all qualified receivers in expected points added per target (+0.97) and has the best catch rate over expectation of any pass-catcher in the NFL (+25.2%). In all, Boutte has caught 18 of his 23 targets for 301 yards and three touchdowns — an 850-yard pace over a 17-game season.

Speaking to reporters after his two-touchdown performance in his home state of Louisiana last week, Boutte reflected on his football journey.

"I would say three-four years ago I wasn't in the best position, a lot of off the field stuff. I look at myself like I have been through a lot, and I feel like I am finally getting back together and everything is becoming good. I feel like it's good to beat the adversity and just keep working," Boutte said.

Boutte has shown impressive growth and has become a rock-solid pro. Earlier this week, the Pats wideout added that it was important for him to embrace adversity.

"I feel like there's nothing wrong with a little adversity. Everybody goes through it in life; everybody's situation is different, honestly. It's really about how you come out the other side," Boutte told Patriots.com. "A good thing about it is you get to determine the outcome. So I mean, just kind of take it and run with it. It was good to watch the growth. I noticed it, too. It's a great feeling."

Along with maturing as a professional, Boutte has improved his play on the field. As a prospect, most expected Boutte to play a flanker role with more snaps inside the slot. Instead, the Pats wideout has become a true "X" receiver and is thriving as an outside vertical threat. This season, Boutte ranks fourth in average air yards per target (15.9) and sixth in yards per catch (16.7), playing 90.4% of his snaps out wide.

Looking at Boutte's recent film, his ability to win on a vertical route tree shines. For example, Boutte has caught seven of his eight go route targets for 140 yards and two of his three touchdowns.

Last Sunday, Boutte aligned on the backside of the formation against press coverage several times. On his first touchdown, the Pats called a bluff screen to the frontside of the concept that was well-covered by the Saints, so QB Drake Maye came off his initial read to Boutte. Boutte then won a well-placed pass at the catch point for a 25-yard touchdown, one of his five catches on seven contested targets (71.4% catch rate).

Later on, Maye went to Boutte again versus backside single coverage on a critical third-and-11. This time, Boutte ran a back-shoulder fade, where he runs the corner off like it's a go route and then slams on the brakes to adjust to a purposely placed ball on his back shoulder. The Pats wideout also had the awareness to remain in bounds after making the catch, allowing New England to kneel out the clock for its third-straight win.

"They say it's a 50/50 ball, but my thought about it is, it's a 90/10 [ball] when it comes my way," Boutte said. "I want the ball. When the game is on the line, I want to make that play. I think that's just the dog and the competitor in me."

Sunday's game-sealing catch wasn't the first time that Boutte came through in the clutch with great situational awareness. Earlier in the drive, he caught a speed-out for seven yards where he slid down in bounds, forcing the Saints to burn a timeout. In Week 6, Boutte had a 19-yard catch on the Pats game-winning drive, where he stayed in bounds, taking precious seconds off the clock to set up a game-winning field goal to upset the Bills.

"I think [sideline] awareness is something you just got to work on. It's something that I really put into my game over these past few years. So just knowing the situation, knowing what needs to happen in that situation [is important]," Boutte said.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel also praised Boutte for his play in the clutch following last Sunday's win over the Saints in New Orleans.

"He came up with a huge play, went in there, and won the game for us on a third down. You see the confidence that Drake [Maye] has with him, his play strength, and his ability to go frame the football in a big situation," Vrabel said. "I think he's gotten better, and I like his demeanor as well. Never too up, and never too down. Sometimes the ball finds him, and he makes plays, and when it doesn't, he understands that it just wasn't his snap."

Along with winning in contested situations along the sideline, Boutte also creates separation on his vertical routes. On Boutte's second touchdown, the Pats wideout runs a "burst" corner, where he sells inside before breaking on the corner. Boutte gets Saints CB Quincy Riley to bite on the route fake, surrendering his outside leverage, and breaks away from man coverage.

"It was just an inside stem route. The cornerback overplayed it a bit. Just a great football play and great throw by Drake," Boutte said.

As the film shows, Boutte's connection with Maye is improving, especially in key situations. Maye's willingness to target Boutte in clutch moments speaks to the growing chemistry between the second-year quarterback and third-year wideout.

"Just talking with each other, helping each other, just trying to see how we can be better for each other and the team," Boutte said of his connection with Maye. "I think that's a big thing just as far as receivers and quarterbacks. The more we work together, it's never gonna hurt us."

Given that his career started with a miscue along the sideline, Boutte has come a long way in developing into a productive outside receiver. However, his teammates who have been around him the last few years aren't surprised by Boutte's success.

"Everyone wants to ask where did this come from? It's like, nah, he's had this [talent]," veteran TE Austin Hooper said. "I'm just really happy for him because he's not a big talker. He just keeps his mouth shut and goes to work every day. That's why everyone in the locker room has a tremendous amount of respect for him. You see him, especially the younger players, just continuing to get better and better. He's taking a big step from even last year, when he was already very talented, and now you see where he's at now, and I'm just really happy for him."

Over the last few years, the Patriots have been searching for wide receivers to surround their talented second-year quarterback. This season, Maye is trending toward stardom as one of the league's most efficient passers through six weeks, but the Pats QB didn't get there alone. To have a good pass play, you need a confident play call, solid pass protection, and receivers who get open.

Boutte's emergence as a reliable pass-catcher has given the Patriots an element the offense needed: a vertical threat who can win in isolation on the outside. With star WR Stefon Diggs primarily running routes from the "Z" receiver role, where he's moving around the formation, Boutte is holding down the X spot, and New England's passing game is hitting on all cylinders.

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