Well, we knew that Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson is fast. That was obvious going back to last season at Ohio State, as well as at this year’s NFL draft combine, when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. That was sixth among all running backs at the combine. But what we didn’t know was that Henderson was fast enough to beat an entire NFL defense downfield, pause for a conversation with his coaches, then go ahead and score a touchdown.
But that’s what happened on the game-sealing touchdown in the fourth quarter of New England’s impressive 28-23 win in Tampa on Sunday (their seventh straight), when Henderson’s 69-yard run with 1:31 to play in the fourth put the Patriots ahead by two scores and put the Bucs into desperation mode.
It was Henderson’s second touchdown of the day, and followed a touchdown by fellow rookie Kyle Williams, a third-round pick from Washington State who ran a 4.40 40-yard dash, who scored with a 72-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter.
Patriots Drake Maye: ‘You’re Not Catching Them’
These were the flashes the Patriots had seen from both Williams and Henderson in training camp, promises of big-play speed that had yet to really show in the first nine game of the season. But the pair’s afterburners were well on display in Week 10.
And in the wake of the game, quarterback Drake Maye had a warning for the rest of the NFL about the rookie pair: Don’t let them get behind you, because it’s over once that happens.
“Kyle got out the backdoor. He’s fast. You’re not gonna catch him,” Maye said. “Him and 32, TreVeyon. If they get going, you’re not catching them.”
(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
Drake Maye ‘Proud’ of Kyle Williams
It was good timing for both Henderson and Williams. Starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson was out for the second straight week with a toe injury, and receiver Kayshon Boutte was out, too, with a hamstring injury. The Henderson and Williams performances were not just icing–they were the cake.
Henderson struggled to gain yards consistently, but with break-off runs of 55 and 69 yards, he tallied 147 yards on 14 carries. Williams had only one target, but made it count.
“So proud of him for stepping up,” Maye said of Williams. “He only got one target and he made it count. So, proud of him for getting in there. He got a lot of reps this week and sometimes on the tape, he is probably more open and I just gotta look his way.”
Patriots Are ‘Gonna Need Everybody’ Amid Injuries
Coach Mike Vrabel was especially gratified by the play of the rookies. He’s hoping there is a message there for the rest of the Patriots–everyone is going to be called upon to make something happen at some point this season.
“We’re gonna need everybody throughout this season. We’re gonna need everybody as this thing goes on,” he said. “With Kayshon being out, that was an opportunity for Kyle. With Rhamondre being out, that was more opportunities for TreVeyon. They battled through. I got wore out seeing how our guys were doing as many times as I did.”
As for Henderson’s touchdown and his conversation with the coaches, he knew he had a lead on his defenders, but not that much of a lead.
“I was a little confused but I tried to make sure to check with the coaches real quick to see what they wanted me to do,” he said. “But I knew I had the guys running behind me as well, so I had to make a decision in like two seconds. But it ended up happening, it got into the end zone and at the end of the day, we came away with the win.”
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