FOXBORO — Over his first five games this season, Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne totaled just 70 yards.

He saw 14 targets and caught barely half of them. That production, or lack thereof, helped lead to a surprising benching at Chicago.

A week later, the coaching staff brought Bourne back to start Sunday against the Rams, and he rewarded that faith with his best game of the season.

Bourne’s 70 receiving yards led all Patriots in their 28-22 loss. The veteran receiver snatched every target he saw, including a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter, which gave rookie quarterback Drake Maye a sorely needed weapon outside. Bourne finished with more receiving yards than all of the Patriots’ other wideouts combined, and started with the first catch of the game.

“I just appreciate the coaches keep believing in me,” Bourne said. “It’s a tough situation, but that just says a lot about how they’re approaching it. They’re doing their jobs.”

Later on the touchdown, Maye found Bourne on a slant, and the two celebrated with a custom handshake in the end zone. They later connected on a back-shoulder throw during the Patriots’ final drive, another slant and an in-cut.

“(Bourne) has got great energy, and that’s the one thing about him. He’s going to come in, day in, day out with a smile on his face, and I think it’s a testament to him for not getting probably what he wanted last week and coming out here and making some big plays for us,” Maye said.

Last Wednesday, Bourne described his benching as “tough.” The Patriots, as they had for weeks, rostered seven wideouts entering their game against the Bears, but curiously chose to activate him on game day and then not give him any snaps. The coaching staff had told Bourne he was unlikely to play the day before, citing his recent performance and their efforts to play younger players.

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“I’m self-evaluating and looking at myself, how I could be better. So, that’s really just how I got to look at it,” Bourne told the Herald this week. “You know, watching the film honestly, of my last four games, I could be a lot better, a lot more crisp.”

Since then, the Patriots have released underwhelming speedster Tyquan Thornton and made K.J. Osborn a healthy scratch on Sunday. Against the Rams, rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker finished without a target. Again, Polk was a regular in the rotation, but his most notable play was a false start on a crucial fourth-down play with less than five minutes. Since Oct. 1, Polk has recorded more penalties than catches.

Meanwhile, Bourne continues to plug along.

“I’m just one of the guys in the bunch,” he said. “Playing my part, trying to be better so I can contribute to the team.”