So YOU’VE noticed Hunter Henry has been more active in the Patriots offense of late and looks like himself again, too? Probably, like most of us, you attributed that to Zappe Fever and the rookie’s solid play, or the scaled back offense that’s involved the tight ends more of late (Sunday was the first game where both high priced free agent TEs of 2021 had 60-plus receiving yards since joining the Patriots).
Hunter Henry on the growth of Patriots' offense
While there might be some truth to all of that, the likelihood that a wunderkind fourth-round rookie QB has mystically unlocked the team’s high priced tight ends, or that Matt Patricia woke up one day and realized Henry especially wasn’t getting the ball enough, just isn’t there. Instead, it may be as simple as he feels good again.
During his Monday media availability, Henry admitted that he had offseason shoulder surgery and played through an injury late last season. This would explain his tailing off in 2021, though Henry maintained a target average of six per game over the final stretch of the season (he was not targeted in the team’s rugby-style 14-10 win(d) in Buffalo).
Henry also got off to an uncharacteristically slow start to 2022...which could in part be attributed to the offense finding itself, not to mention the injury-necessitated quarterback switch. Still, the jump from two targets per game over the first four tilts to six per game over the last two, plus his first touchdown of the year, haven’t gone unnoticed.
Henry’s work and improvement have been noticed by more than just the media and fans, as coach Bill Belichick remarked Monday how Henry has “gotten stronger” and how “his blocking has really improved this year.” He added that “he’s a good all-around football player,” which is about the highest praise the second-winningest coach in NFL history will give you...unless you’re Ed Reed or Johnny Hekker.
Henry receiving praise from his coaches and teammates for being a hard worker and consistently good guy on and off the field is nothing new. But it had been a while since he’d had praise for the kind of impact he had Sunday in Cleveland, something both team and fans hope to see more of going forward. Who knew it had to do with a medical procedure? Certainly not us! Come on now! Even though some things are changing it is still Bill Belichick’s Foxboro.
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