FOXBORO - TreVeyon Henderson’s ankle injury still clouds the Patriots’ Week 6 picture, but the second-year running back sounded far more upbeat Friday than the diagnosis might suggest.
Henderson was limited in practice all week after getting hurt last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he was eventually ruled out before the game ended. The setback came after he had already missed Week 1 with an ankle issue, but he said the way he felt did not line up with what the MRI revealed.
"Honestly, yeah. I was surprised.
I felt a little bit different than what they diagnosed it as and what the MRI showed," Henderson told reporters in the locker room Friday, acknowledging that it was in fact a high-ankle sprain. "I'm hoping that I'm able to be out there with the guys and try to help this team continue in games."
His status for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets remains unsettled. Henderson is expected to be listed as questionable, and head coach Mike Vrabel wasn’t ready to say whether he’ll be available, though the fact that Henderson was on the field for the Patriots’ final practice of the week is at least a good sign.
"There'll be some guys listed as questionable," Vrabel said. "(We'll) see how TreVeyon responds in the morning. Again, see how they come in and then we'll evaluate and go from there."
Henderson has rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown this season, and he said the injury got bad enough in the first half last week that he couldn’t continue. He stayed on the sideline for a while before heading to the locker room, and he and offensive tackle Will Campbell were eventually downgraded to out at halftime after being injured on the same drive.
"Honestly, once that happened, I couldn't put any pressure on my right side," Henderson said. "And so I tried to get back out there, but it just wasn't where it needed to be."
The encouraging part for the Patriots is that Henderson got through all three practices this week, and reporters saw him moving around well for two of them. Whether that turns into game-day availability will come down to how he reacts over the next few days.
"I feel pretty good," Henderson said. "I think I'm getting better. We'll see how things continue to go and the decision that we all end up making."
If Henderson can’t go, Corey Kiner looks like the most likely next man up behind the starter. Kiner is third on the active roster at running back, and while he did fumble last week, he has also contributed on special teams. Vrabel said he remains confident in Kiner despite the turnover.
"We all have to take care of the ball, but Corey did a lot of really good things, so there's a high confidence (in him)," Vrabel said. "Nobody notices or really talks about the guy that comes back into the gap and hammers the ball out.
You guys always fail to mention that. You guys always just put it on the guy who has the ball.
So we all share in that, and we'll be better.
"But I like the way Corey runs, and yes, he does have to hang onto the ball. We got to do a better job of protecting the guy, keeping people away from him."
The Patriots also have Lan Larison and Hassan Haskins on the practice squad, and either could be elevated for game day. For now, though, the team can take some comfort in the fact that Henderson is moving better and sounding more optimistic than expected with kickoff less than 48 hours away.
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