The New England Patriots host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium for Week 11 of the regular season on Thursday Night Football. Injuries continue to pile up in the Patriots’ running back room, as all three players on the active roster are banged up. TreVeyon Henderson suffered an apparent knee injury in the third quarter last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but finished the game, totaling a career-high 147 yards on 14 carries and two scores.
TreVeyon Henderson was estimated as a limited participant on Monday and was upgraded to a full participant on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Patriots released their Week 11 injury report a little while ago, and their rookie sensation doesn’t carry an official injury designation for Thursday Night Football. Therefore, Henderson will play against the New York Jets.
Rhamondre Stevenson has missed the previous two games due to a toe injury. The $36 million back was limited on Monday and Tuesday but downgraded to a non-participant on Wednesday. The Patriots ruled Stevenson out.
Terrell Jennings suffered a knee injury in the first quarter last week and did not return for the remainder of the game. He was limited throughout the week, prompting the Patriots to rule him questionable. Even if Jennings suits up, the team will likely elevate D’Ernest Johnson, Jonathan Ward, or Rushawn Baker for Thursday, as TreVeyon Henderson is the only running back guaranteed to play.
The Denver Broncos are 7-2 and head into Thursday Night Football feeling great.
The offense gutted out another win after going up against one of the best defenses in the league. We have seen the inconsistencies from the offense throughout the season, but whenever they need to make a play, Bo Nix comes in clutch for the team.
We have seen some highs and then lows within the offense, and everyone has dirt on their hands when things go bad.
There is a simple solution that we all may be overthinking and it starts with Nix’s legs.
Yes, you read that right.
Dating back to last season (Nix’s rookie year), the Broncos are 4-1 when Bo Nix has 45 or more rushing yards in a game, while also leading the offense to 29 points per game when doing so.
I understand that he doesn’t have the blazing speed of a Lamar Jackson, but Nix can have a similar impact, as Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and other dynamic running quarterbacks have on their offenses.
We have seen Sean Payton brilliantly design runs for Nix and execute them with tremendous success. Recently, we saw it against the New York Giants, who went for a touchdown and led the comeback. Payton also dialed up a run against the Saints last year and went for an explosive run play with Nix on a QB power concept.
Fans have seen how Allen punishes defenses with his legs. Hurts has done damage with his utilization of his rushing ability, too. Nix resembles both of their running styles and can have just as much impact as they do.
The Broncos’ offense has struggled to find consistency on a week-to-week basis. One game, they will be great, the other week, they will struggle and look like they didn’t even practice.
Unlocking Nix’s legs more can open up a lot within the offense, and the numbers prove it. The fact that Denver averages nearly 30 points per game when Nix accomplishes this feat is remarkable.
It looks like a successful recipe, and Payton needs to take this approach more often with Nix and his running ability. Nix also has to use his legs more, especially on scrambles when the play breaks down.
We can see this Broncos offense take a huge leap if they commit to it.