Hunter Henry — Week 1: Three for Three, and the Red-Zone Ball Went Elsewhere
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Thursday, Sep 10
Henry caught all three passes thrown to him for twenty-six yards — three, thirteen and ten — on a night New England threw thirty-three times and sent seven to DeMario Douglas, six to Rhamondre Stevenson and five to Mack Hollins. The one red-zone touchdown went to the other tight end, Eli Raridon, from two yards out. The red-zone question the August episodes kept asking got an answer, and it was not Henry.
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Hunter Henry caught everything thrown to him Wednesday night, and there was not much of it. Three targets, three catches, 26 yards: three yards on second and six deep in New England territory in the second quarter, 13 yards on first down to open the second half, and 10 yards on third and 19 with two 10 left in the fourth — a catch that left New England at fourth and nine, which Drake Maye then converted with an 11-yard throw to Mack Hollins. Useful, all three. None of them a play the game turned on.
The share is the story. New England threw 33 passes: seven to DeMario Douglas, six to Rhamondre Stevenson, five to Hollins, four to A.J. Brown before Brown left injured in the third quarter, three to Romeo Doubs, three to Henry. That is tied for fifth on his own team, on a night the offense lost its top receiver at the start of the second half and had every reason to lean on a veteran tight end. And the one throw that mattered most to the August episodes — the red-zone question they asked every week and never got answered — was answered by someone else. New England took two snaps inside the Seattle 20 all night. One was its final snap of the night, an interception in the end zone. The other was a two-yard touchdown on first and goal in the second quarter, and it went to Eli Raridon, the other tight end.
Back in June the read was that Henry is the most predictable tight end in football — volume as identity, 60 catches on 87 targets last season with seven touchdowns — and August could not test it because the starters never played. Wednesday tested it once and the volume was not there: three targets on 33 throws is not the pace of 87 a season. One game, a rebuilt room, an injury mid-game, and an offense whose fourth quarter produced three interceptions — none of it settles a target share. But the red-zone touchdown went to the other tight end, and that is the first real note in the file that cuts against the June read rather than waiting on it. New England hosts Pittsburgh next; watch the targets, and watch who lines up inside the 10.
_Data via nflverse._
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