“I feel the need, the need for speed.”
The New England Patriots spent years relating to that need but could never quite figure out how to satisfy it — though it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Tyquan Thornton, Pierre Strong, Aaron Dobson and Chad Jackson are some of the fastest human beings to ever step on a football field, but couldn’t translate their speed into success once they set up shop at One Patriot Place.
Why?
I don’t think anyone can provide an adequate answer to that question, though equal blame can be placed on each individual player as well as the system in which they were asked to transform — especially since that system historically does just fine without them.
The Patriots weren’t going to give up on their desire to add an explosive element, though, and finally started seeing a return on that investment during Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
TreVeyon Henderson (No. 5) and Kyle Williams (No. 9) became two of the fastest ball carriers in the NFL this season during the victory, with the former hitting 22.01 miles per hour on his 55-yard touchdown and the latter hitting 21.78 miles per hour on his 77-yard touchdown.
If you’re wondering just how fast that is, Devin McCourty is the only other player in franchise history to surpass those numbers since ball tracking data was introduced in 2018 — reaching a top speed of 22.05 miles per hour during an interception return that season against the Buffalo Bills.
F. A. S. T.
Henderson and Williams likely wouldn’t have been in a position to make those plays had it not been for the absences of running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, either. Which make their sudden surges all the more interesting.
New England spent literal years looking for these players, found them, stashed them on the depth chart and allowed them to develop at their own pace, then unleashed them on the world when needed.
It’s almost as if that’s what competent franchises do…
The Patriots can now tout the fact that they’re even deeper at the skill positions than we initially thought, all while having the MVP favorite leading the way in quarterback Drake Maye.
I’ve suggested that fans should remain cautiously optimistic about this team’s immediate future, but a game like that from two rookies is enough to make you downright excited.
