As the Denver Broncos prepare to face the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, there is one player, who the Patriots have kind of tucked away lately, who can wreck the game for the Broncos.
The Buffalo Bills targeted the middle of the run defense of the Broncos to set the tone for their offensive attack in the divisional round. That plan worked as James Cook rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries.
The Patriots will look to establish the running game in this one, but they'll look to do it with more of a two-headed monster. Ramondre Stevenson has turned it on lately, but the guy the Broncos should be much more concerned with is No. 32, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Henderson is a spark plug with huge big-play ability. He has shown that with multiple long touchdown runs this season and he is the kind of player who you're not going to run down from behind once he breaks free.
Breakout day for TreVeyon Henderson
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
- 14 carries
- 147 rush yards
- 2 TDs @Patriots | @FedEx pic.twitter.com/9vJgi3MGCW
TREVEYON HENDERSON 65-YARD TD.
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
BUFvsNE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/XricJljnG9
If Henderson were to break a play like this on Sunday, it could be a total game-changer. The Broncos must make sure they stay disciplined. The Patriots could look to lull them to sleep with the powerful, grinding style of Stevenson and then bring Henderson in against a worn-down defense for a play like this.
On the season, Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns while posting an impressive average of 5.1 yards per carry. Lately, the team has been riding Stevenson a bit more, but Henderson is the team's home-run hitter and he can break one off at any time by eluding one tackler and then bursting through with his lightning-quick speed.
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This should be a real concern for this Broncos defense and one they need to work diligently to slow down ahead of Sunday's game.
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