Mike ReissNov 9, 2025, 08:16 PM ET

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Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.

TAMPA, Fla. – Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs’ motivational words to TreVeyon Henderson helped spark the rookie running back’s breakout performance that included touchdown runs of 72 and 69 yards, helping the visiting New England Patriots to a 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

“I’m definitely hard on TreVeyon because I see so much potential,” Diggs said. “I’ve been around some great backs in my career and I was telling him, ‘Those great backs don’t get tackled, and I want to see you score.’ So him coming out there and busting two of them, it’s good to be hard on people, I guess.”

Henderson responded to Diggs’ words at halftime with the 72-yard scoring run at the start of the third quarter, then added the 69-yarder late in the fourth to help put away the game. He became the first player in Patriots history to record two touchdown runs of more than 50 yards in the same game. A second-round pick (No. 38) out of Ohio State, he finished with a career-high 147 yards on 14 carries.

“He keeps me motivated – he really does. He’s such a great leader on this field,” Henderson said of Diggs. “He gets all the guys going. He is always in my ear, but he keeps me motivated.”

With rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams also delivering a 72-yard catch-and-run touchdown at the end of the first quarter, the Patriots received much-needed contributions from two of their youngest players.

Williams had an expanded role as the team was without starting receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring), while Henderson stepped up for the second straight week in place of Rhamondre Stevenson (toe).

“We’re going to need everybody throughout this season,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “Two explosive plays [from Henderson] and Kyle’s play early, we really needed that one. That was the one that we were talking about - just needing one play and he hit it, and it was great to see him have that success.”

Williams had entered the day having totaled two receptions for 20 yards on the season.

The speed of Henderson and Williams on each touchdown was notable.

Williams reached a top speed of 21.78 mph on his touchdown, which was the fastest by a rookie ball-carrier this season, according to NFL NextGenStats. But Henderson later broke that mark when he reached a top speed of 22.01 mph on his scoring run on the opening drive of the second half.

Henderson then hit 21.38 mph on the final touchdown, marking the three fastest max speeds by any rookie this season and the three fastest by any Patriots player on a touchdown since Next Gen began tracking in 2016.

The three scrimmage touchdowns reaching at least 20 mph are tied for the most by any team in a game over the last 10 seasons when Next Gen tracking began. It’s the seventh such instance, and first since the 2023 Miami Dolphins had three in their 70-20 blowout of the Denver Broncos in Week 3 of the 2023 season.

“Kyle and TreVeyon, if they get going, you’re not catching them,” said quarterback Drake Maye, who finished 16 of 31 for 270 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Henderson credited the blocking in front of him for the long runs.

“They opened it up really [well]. My biggest thing is to be decisive and hit it once I see it,” he said. “I thank the guys up front for taking care of the dirty work.”

Meanwhile, Williams explained how he approached the week, saying: “We always say you prepare as a starter and I really took that to heart this week because I knew what was at stake. When you get an opportunity, you’re not promised another one. So for me it was just making the most of it whenever it came.”

The Patriots (8-2) host the New York Jets (2-7) on Thursday.