New England Patriots
“Do not repair it if it ain’t broke.”
FOXBOROUGH — Drake Maye knew the questions have been coming after an evening the place chants of “MVP!” rained down on him at Gillette Stadium.
It got here as little shock that the 23-year-old quarterback deflected any speak of his rising inventory as one of many high gamers within the NFL.
And on Thursday evening, he had a simple avenue to deflect stated discourse.
“Might have been for TreVeyon tonight,” Maye stated of these chants. “He scored three touchdowns.”
Maye’s stellar play all season lengthy could have helped New England orchestrate this present eight-game win streak and 9-2 general report.
However with New England’s banged-up personnel within the floor sport in want of a raise this week, rookie working again Treveyon Henderson has answered the decision.
Within the span of simply 5 days, the 2025 second-round decide has discovered the top zone 5 instances — with a two-score showing against the Buccaneers on Sunday adopted up by one other impactful exhibiting on primetime TV towards the Jets Thursday evening.
Thrust right into a featured position on offense with lead again Rhamondre Stevenson nonetheless sidelined with a toe damage, Henderson thrived because the Patriots’ spark plug on offense — dashing for 2 touchdowns within the first half earlier than hauling in a TD from Maye within the third quarter en path to a 27-14 win over New York.
Henderson’s arrival has been a welcome treatment for New England’s shorthanded personnel, with the Ohio State product changing into simply the second Patriots rookie in franchise historical past to put up a three-touchdown sport.
The one different Patriots rookie to put up an identical stat line? Rob Gronkowski in 2010.
“Don’t repair it if it ain’t broke,” Maye stated of Henderson beginning to settle right into a groove. “I believe simply him stepping up. I believe it was a giant time for him stepping up, and it’s been nice for him to get all these reps, to maintain getting these reps. He desires to be nice. He’s simply exhibiting up on daily basis and asking questions.
“I believe simply persevering with for him to maintain going within the [coming] weeks and know that him and ‘Mondre and our backs, we will create an excellent one-two factor going.”
Not like Sunday’s win over Tampa the place Henderson doled out a majority of his harm by way of two explosive landing runs (55 yards and 69 yards, respectively), Henderson’s dashing efforts have been a bit extra subdued on Thursday (62 whole yards on 19 makes an attempt).
However Henderson made the a lot of the red-zone reps afforded to him — opening the scoring for New England early within the second quarter after spinning away from a deal with, remaining on his ft as a number of Jets swarmed round him, and ultimately touchdown over the objective line after his offensive line pushed him ahead.
He scored once more on New England’s subsequent drive, with a booming pancake block delivered by Mike Onwenu clearing the trail for Henderson to scamper in from seven yards out — giving the Patriots their first lead of the evening.
With these two dashing scores, Henderson additionally joined Curtis Martin (1995) as the one Patriots rookies since 1970 to put up consecutive video games with two or extra dashing TDs.
“Actually, these first two touchdowns, all [because of] my offensive linemen,” Henderson stated on Amazon’s postgame protection. “I acquired to provide these guys credit score. They make my job simpler. These guys put within the soiled work, and so I actually give the credit score to these guys, I’m actually grateful to be enjoying alongside these guys, working behind these guys, and simply enjoying on this crew.”
Henderson was not carried out. Throughout a drive the place Maye tormented the Jets’ protection by rolling out of the pocket, ducking stress, and hitting open targets sprouting up throughout the sphere, New York’s secondary might solely shake their heads after the QB lofted a ball over to Henderson ultimately zone for a six-yard landing within the third quarter.
“He’s executed, whether or not that’s a checkdown or a landing behind the top zone,” Mike Vrabel stated of the rookie. “No house runs tonight, however I believed he grinded out just about what was there. He’s helped us loads of methods tonight and noticed the ability push landing, which was actually cool.”
It hasn’t been the simplest begin to an NFL profession for Henderson. After a standout exhibiting in coaching camp and preseason motion, he had only one landing by way of his first title video games — gaining 283 whole yards on the bottom.
However be it the chance afforded by extra reps or Henderson’s rising confidence at soccer’s highest degree, the explosive working again is beginning to discover his footing.
It’s a mid-season improvement that ought to raise an already surging Patriots crew.
And terrify the remainder of an NFL that already has its palms full accounting for the likes of Maye and the remainder of New England’s imposing arsenal of weapons.
“It feels nice,” Henderson stated of breaking by way of over the past two video games. I’ve simply been staying affected person, trusting the Lord’s plan, simply persevering with to do my half and the remaining I depart as much as him.”
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