FOXBOROUGH – Hunter Henry knew exactly how to lift Pop Douglas’ spirits after the rookie receiver made a costly fumble during the Patriots loss to the Dolphins Sunday night.
In short, the veteran tight end filled him in on his own disaster story, how a similar thing happened to him when he was a rookie with the Chargers.
The newly appointed Patriots captain, who made it a point to speak with Douglas on Monday, explained how during the third game of his NFL career, during a pivotal drive toward the end of the game, he lost the football.
$200 INSTANT BONUS
DRAFTKINGS MASS
BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET
FANDUEL MASS
BET $50, GET $250 BONUS
CAESARS MASS
$1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS
BETMGM MASS
MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234
MA Gambling Helpline.
“I had a pretty good game, we were playing the Indianapolis Colts, and we had a two minute drive,” Henry said, revisiting the story he told Douglas. “We’re down maybe two. All we needed was a field goal. I run a really good route. There’s about a minute left in the game, I catch the ball, and I kind of get into an open field. I made the first guy miss, and I’m looking at the next guy, and not thinking about what’s going on, and the ball gets poked out from behind. I lost the game for our team.”
Douglas’ fumble happened in the first quarter of the Patriots 24-17 loss to the Dolphins, not the fourth, but the message from Henry still resonated.
“It really woke me up to this level, and humbled me a lot, and I learned a lot,” said Henry. “I realized I needed to hold onto the ball a little tighter. So I kind of conveyed that to him. I’m going on my eighth year now, and I think I’ve only had one other fumble in eight years. And that one might be a little questionable.”
Following his fumble, where he also had the ball punched out from behind after breaking free, Douglas was kept on the sidelines during every offensive series that followed. While none of the Patriots coaches would call it a benching, per se, that’s certainly how it looked.
“Pop’s a great player. We need him. He’s going to learn from this. He’s going to learn a lot from it,” said Henry. “I enjoy going out and competing with him. He’s done a lot of great things for us, and I know he will continue to.”
How did Henry react to his first fumble?
He scored a touchdown the following week and had a good game.
“It was definitely a motivating factor that week,” said Henry. “I was excited to get back out there.”
The Patriots captain is expecting the same kind of bounce back from Pop, who has been electrifying with the football in his hands.
“He’s a good dude. He works really hard,” said Henry. “I know he takes pride in what he does. So, I know he’ll be ready to go.”
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones indicated several players took the time to give Douglas a similar pep talk and lift his spirits.
“The older guys, including myself, (were) just trying to lift him up, and let him know he’s a great player,” said Jones. “One play, one week doesn’t define anybody. So he’s going to come out and keep swinging. He has a lot of speed, smart kid, tough, dependable. All that stuff. He’s going to bounce back, and so are we.”
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
