– FOXBOROUGH Tyquan Thornton, a rookie receiver for the New England Patriots, has already had an impact in his first two NFL games.
The Week 6 victory over the Cleveland Browns by the Patriots, 38-15, featured two touchdowns from the second-round pick. Both were available in various styles.
When fellow rookie Bailey Zappe’s initial read wasn’t wide open early in the second half, the Patriots were near the Browns’ goal line, and Thornton was able to gain separation in the end zone. The Patriots’ sixth play of the game, on the verge of the end zone after failing to score on their previous five, resulted with Thornton catching the touchdown over the middle.
When he moved before the play in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Thornton added his second touchdown. He took a handoff from Zappe on a jet sweep before immediately spinning upfield and scoring from 19 yards out to give the Patriots a 31-15 lead.
Rookie to rookie. @baileyzappe04 hits @Humble_Ty19 to extend the @Patriots lead!
: #NEvsCLE on CBS
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/pjHIv4VDX8 pic.twitter.com/hux8K8FUrB— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022
Thornton has only played in half of the Patriots’ offensive snaps through two games, but he has six receptions on eight targets for 44 yards and three rushes for 16 yards. One of Thornton’s teammates isn’t surprised by his early success in a Patriots wide receiver group that features numerous seasoned players of high calibre.
I’m not shocked. Jakobi Meyers declared that He enjoys being around, and I was really impressed but not surprised. He adores the men. He enjoys playing it. Just a matter of time, really. We knew he would step out and make plays as soon as he was well.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Thornton displayed some promise. He snagged a touchdown pass in the preseason and made numerous great plays during 1-on-1 drills with the Patriots’ other defensive backs before suffering a collarbone injury in the second preseason game that kept him out for the first four weeks of the regular season.
Thornton’s speed is his most amazing quality. He was the quickest receiver in the 2022 draught class when he ran the 40-yard sprint at the NFL Combine in 4.28 seconds in March.
Meyers still marvels at Thornton’s pace despite having played with him for a number of months.
Man, that’s challenging to be that quick and stop so quickly, Meyers added. A lot of guys couldn’t stop suddenly while also reaching 4.2; they couldn’t do that. It’s definitely impressive, like I said. I’m not at all shocked, though, given how he acts and how much he loves the game.
Two touchdown Tyquan.@Humble_Ty19 | #ForeverNE
: #NEvsCLE on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/PYiThMbgW4
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 16, 2022
Meyers, who has been the Patriots’ top receiver since 2020, is aware of Thornton’s talent, which prompted him to make a daring statement.
Sincerely, [Thornton] has too much skill,” Meyers stated. “I think he’s a tremendous player. He’ll probably play this game for a while, in my opinion.
Tyquan Thornton might soon experience greater things. Mac Jones, the starting quarterback for the Patriots, appeared better than he has in recent weeks since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3. He is reportedly expected to play against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. If Jones participates in that game, it will be Thornton’s first encounter with Jones in a competitive environment.
The original version of this essay, which was written by Jakobi Meyers, appeared on ClutchPoints.
