Boutte caught four passes for 28 yards on five targets during Saturday's 40-7 loss to the Chargers.
In Week 16, Boutte broke the game open for the Patriots by scoring a long touchdown against the Bills, but he couldn't recreate the big play against the Chargers. It was arguably encouraging to see Boutte draw five targets on mostly shorter routes -- part of the struggle with Boutte this year has been the boom-or-bust category he landed in as a deep-route specialist -- so if Boutte can combine the short routes of Saturday with the longer catches he provided at earlier points this year, there could be untapped potential yet in the second-year wideout. The Patriots have their rematch against the Bills in Week 18.