Patriots TE Hunter Henry OUT vs. Bengals With Right Leg Injury: WATCH
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots will be without the services of tight end Hunter Henry for the remainder of their Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
Henry originally left the game with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, after colliding with his teammate Jonnu Smith. Henry promptly went to the sidelines, as he favored his right leg. Henry was downgraded to ‘out’ by the team at the start of the second half.
The Pats are far from being of good cheer on this Christmas Eve, trailing the defending AFC Champions 22-0 early in the third quarter.
Having managed an anemic 70 yards of total offense in the first half, losing a pass-catcher of Henry’s caliber only adds to the Patriots offensive woes. The 28-year-old has compiled 415 yards on 30 catches and two touchdowns, to date.
As notable buzz surrounded the Patriots desire to improvise their offensive output, New England seemed poised to find a way to incorporate Henry as a receiving option against a capable Bengals secondary. Cincinnati’s defense ranks near the NFL’s cellar when defensing against play-action, which is where Hery is at his best.
The veteran tight end is most productive when playing the traditional “Y” role, accentuating his route running skills, as well as his ability to box out. He has also proven himself a strong blocker and reliable pass catcher. When operating out of play-action, Henry has become a favorite target for quarterback Mac Jones, especially on seam routes.
The Pats will miss Henry’s route-running prowess in the open field, as well as his strength inside the 20. With receiver Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) and rookie Tyquan Thornton (knee) nursing injuries, Henry was expected to see additional looks from Jones against the Bengals.
Since signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Patriots in the 2021 offseason, Henry has experienced an ebb-and-flow to his time in Foxboro. Pairing Henry alongside a prototypical ‘move’ tight end like Smith was expected to allow the Patriots to run 12-man personnel, featuring two equally potent tight end options. Combined with a sizable offensive line and a capable running game, New England was expected to excel in several play action schemes in 2021; significantly more so than one year ago.
Despite the unexpected lack of production from their ‘tandem of tight endage,’ Henry still had one of his most statistically productive seasons. He finished the 2021 season having compiled 603 yards on 50 catches with nine touchdowns.
Unfortunately, New England’s offensive woes have prevented Henry from recapturing the prowess he showed in his first season with the Pats.
The Patriots will lean heavily on Smith in his absence, as well as practice-squadder and ex-Bengal Scotty Washington, who was elevated to the game day roster on Saturday.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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