The Patriots needed a jolt on Sunday in Tampa, and boy did they get it from a pair of rookies. TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams each had career days, and without them, the Pats' win streak probably gets snapped. Instead, make it seven in a row for the sons of Mike Vrabel.
"Well, we're gonna need everybody throughout this season. We're gonna need everybody as this thing goes on," Vrabel said. "With Kayshon (Boutte) being out, that was an opportunity for Kyle. With Rhamondre (Stevenson) being out, it led to more opportunities for TreVeyon. He battled through..."
That last point from Vrabel was an important one. Terrell Jennings went out in the first half with a knee injury, leaving well-traveled (but newly arrived) D'Ernest Johnson as Henderson's lone backup. Johnson got one carry. The rest of the work was left up to the kid, and did he ever deliver.
Henderson became the first player in franchise history to record 140+ yards rushing with two rushing touchdowns in a single game, while also joining Laurence Maroney (shudders) as the first Pats running back since 1978 to have two 50+ yard runs in a single game.
"Man, it honestly felt good. This season, it's come with a lot of ups and downs," Henderson (147 yards on 14 carries) said, adding, "I've been just trying to trust the process, being present in the moment ... and during game time, whatever opportunity comes my way, try my best to take advantage of it."
The same has held true for Williams. He didn't have the same eye-popping counting stats that Henderson did, but the third-rounder made the most of the one and only ball that came his way, turning a simple crossing route into a 72-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7.
"Yeah, Kyle got out the back door," Drake Maye said. "He's fast, and you're not gonna catch him. Him and 32, TreVeyon, if they get going, you're not catching them. So I'm just proud of him (Williams) for stepping up."
That Maye changed the play at the line of scrimmage, and Williams was able to not only get to the right spot but then convert it into an explosive scoring play, should only raise the young signal caller's confidence in the fresh-faced kid.
"It was sensational. I mean, I don't think words could really put an explanation on that feeling," Williams said of scoring his first NFL touchdown. "We got the look that we wanted. Shout out to Drake for making an alert, you know, and on that play, he gets to pick one or two, and he picked me. And then once the ball is in my hands, I see green grass, and it was bon voyage after that."
For a number of weeks, it looked like the Williams breakout game was coming. Josh McDaniels was scheming a possible touch for him each and every week, and there were a couple of called shot plays where the speedy wideout was open, but due to protection issues, he never came close to getting the football. But in recent weeks, he and Maye seemed even further apart than usual. On his 31 snaps in the win over Atlanta, Williams received just one target, and it wasn't close to being a completion. However, with a whole week to work with the first team due to Boutte's absence, Williams felt more comfortable in his role, and it showed.
"We always say prepare as a starter, and I really took that to heart this week, because I knew what was at stake," he said. "When you get an opportunity, you're not promised another one; you get what I'm saying? So, for me, it was just making the most of it, wherever, whenever my ops came, just making the most of it and then just stacking. So, I'm proud of myself."
For a team to exceed even the most pie-in-the-sky expectations, you'll need contributions from everyone. Just think of the 2001 Patriots. Every week, it wasn't just someone different; it was multiple players. The 2025-26 version of the Pats is getting something similar, and it shows when you look at the standings and see this franchise, one that was so far down in recent years it didn't know how to get up, sitting in first place and showing no signs of slowing down. Just like the two kids who let Tampa and the rest of the league know there's more to come.
