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Bowden compiled zero targets during Thursday's 30-22 defeat versus the Rams.
Bowden's playing time came back down to earth, as he played just 22 percent of offensive snaps Week 16 after playing between 57 to 77 percent of snaps in each of the previous four contests. The 26-year-old had helped fill in for the absence of starting wideout and starting slot receiver Rashid Shaheed, who missed two games in a row with a thigh injury before returning Week 15. But, the latter wideout saw his playing time take a significant jump Thursday, as he caught five of nine targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Bowden failed to log a target for the first time in the last five games, as Saints quarterback Derek Carr was clearly locked in on Shaheed, top wideout Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson. This trio was targeted on 29 of Carr's 40 passing attempts, and rookie wideout A.T. Perry was the recipient of a 35-yard touchdown during the team's comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter. It's unlikely that Bowden will play much of a factor as the Saints continue pushing for a playoff spot over the final two weeks of the regular season.
