TAMPA, Fla. – Everyone saw the breakaway speed in the preseason when TreVeyon Henderson ran back a kick return 100 yards for a touchdown. Patriots teammates also saw it in practice.
Through the first nine games, however, Henderson wasn’t able to break away – and Stefon Diggs let him hear it.
The veteran receiver has played with Pro Bowl running backs throughout his career. He made sure to let Henderson know what separated them from others – and even reminded the rookie at halftime on Sunday.
Diggs challenged the young running back and was proud when Henderson responded with two breakaway touchdowns in the Patriots’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We’re kind of hard on everybody. I’m definitely hard on TreVeyon. Just because I see so much potential,” Diggs said. “One guy tackling him and stuff like that. I’ve been around some great backs in my career, and I tell him, ‘No great backs get tackled. I want to see you score.’ I was talking mad junk to him at halftime. I was just being hard on him. So him coming out there, busting two of them, it’s good to be hard on people, I guess.”
Through the first nine games of the season, Henderson showed flashes but had one run of over 20 yards.
Over the previous two games, Henderson looked close to breaking through. He had a career-long run of 27 yards against Cleveland. That game saw him run for a season-high 75 yards. Last week, against Atlanta, Henderson started the first game of his NFL career and ran for 55 yards.
On Sunday, Henderson started again with Rhamondre Stevenson out with a toe injury. In the first half, the offense was struggling on the ground, averaging 2.2 yards per carry. In the Patriots second drive, Henderson looked close to breaking through, running for 16 yards before he was stopped by Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean.
At halftime, Henderson had 22 yards - and Diggs let him have it.
The rookie answered the call, running for a 55-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half. He finished this breakout game with a 69-yard touchdown run, securing the Patriots’ victory.
Henderson finished with a career-high 147 rushing yards, showcasing that breakaway speed that everyone saw this summer. Afterward, he said he was grateful for Diggs and the motivation he provided.
“He keeps me motivated, he really does,” Henderson said. “He’s such a great leader on the field. He gets all the guys going. He is always in my ear, but he keeps me motivated.”
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