Jerod Mayo's blunt reason for Patriots' veteran wideouts being benched

There were a couple of significant changes on the New England Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart ahead of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.

Tyquan Thornton was a healthy scratch for the game, and K.J. Osborn didn’t take a single snap. Meanwhile, second-year wideout Kayshon Boutte saw an increased number of snaps.

Osborn has been a complementary piece on a Patriots wide receivers unit struggling to find production. He has tallied five catches for 31 yards, while Thornton has caught two passes for 27 yards.

“You can put it – it’s the same thing that we’re going through with the offensive line,” Mayo said, per a team-provided video, via NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire. “I think when I look at the film, it’s Boutte, it’s Pop (DeMario Douglas), it’s (Kendrick Bourne).

“We need the rest of those guys to step up and make plays.”

All three of the above-mentioned wideouts have experience in the Patriots’ offensive system. Douglas had a tremendous game against the Texans, leading all receivers with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

Thornton and Osborn both have work to do to regain their original spots on the roster. Boutte caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in Sunday’s game against the Texans.

It’ll be worth watching to see if the wide receiver combinations remain the same for the rest of the season.