SANTA CLARA, Calif. — TreVeyon Henderson knows not to fumble when the Patriots call his number.

That was the case late-night Monday, when Super Bowl LX starting quarterback Drake Maye brought Henderson into a player entourage heading to In-N-Out Burger — a West Coast staple known for greasy cheeseburgers and other fast-food finds — for a quick bite.

“I’ve had In-N-Out less than five times in my life,” Henderson said Tuesday at the San Jose Convention Center of joining his fellow 23-year-old teammate for some grub. “In-N-Out is good. Every time I come out to Cali, I have to make sure I go there. What makes it even better is they have the little Bible verse at the bottom of it, so I like it.”

The Ohio State rookie was the 38th pick in the 2025 draft. He made a huge splash and turned in memorable games — 148 rushing yards and two TDs against the Bills in December, a three-TD game against the Jets.

But he became an afterthought in the AFC Championship at Denver with a season-low four total snaps in the snow. He played 45.8% of New England’s total offensive plays in the regular season in a shared running back role with Rhamondre Stevenson. Henderson led the Patriots with 180 carries, 911 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. Stevenson had 130-603-7.

Stevenson said Henderson’s approach and confidence are unchanged.

“He’s always prepared. It’s kind of a brotherly conversation between the two of us. ‘How can we get each other better?'” Stevenson said.

Henderson, who also returned kickoffs in the regular season, led the NFL with four rushing touchdowns of 50-plus yards in 2025.

Stevenson spent time in head coach Mike Vrabel’s doghouse earlier this season due to three lost fumbles.

But in the playoffs, Stevenson has 51 carries — to Henderson’s 24 — for 194 yards and no touchdowns. His more physical, attacking, between-the-tackles style made him the natural choice on the soggy track at Denver.

Henderson’s explosiveness might be needed against a Seattle front capable of clogging inside alleys. He’s also the superior receiver of the two backs but inconsistency in pass protection might be one reason he’s not getting many looks in the playoffs.

“(Vrabel) always tells us to prepare as a starter,” Henderson said, adding he does still participate in kickoff returns in practice. “I’m not first on the depth chart — we still get reps in practice. I’m still preparing as a starter.”

When pressed about Henderson’s declining role last month, Vrabel wouldn’t point specifically to the proverbial “rookie wall,” a reference to the significant increase in the length and volume of practices and games during the NFL season compared to college football. But he did skim the edges of the topic for a potential cause for his reduced reps.

“We’re always talking about the length of the season, what we need to do to continue, how the practices are and recovery,” Vrabel said. “And mentally, the finish line is not going to move towards us. It’s not going to move closer to us. We have to keep attacking.”

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

A month ago, the Colorado Avalanche were chasing NHL history as one of the best regular-season teams, but with one game left before the Olympic break, they are struggling and feeling pressure in the standings.

Colorado is 3-5-2 in its last 10 games and is coming off its first scoreless game of the season but can enter the hiatus with some momentum when it hosts the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.

The Avalanche still lead the league with 81 points, but the teams in second and third place are in their division — Minnesota and Dallas, which have won four and five games in a row, respectively. The Wild have 76 points and the Stars 75, narrowing the gap on Colorado in recent weeks.

Injuries have played a part, but the Avalanche did get defenseman Devon Toews back from a 12-game absence in Monday night’s 2-0 loss to Detroit, and forward Martin Necas is expected to return Wednesday night. He has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury.

Necas is second on the team with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists), well behind Nathan MacKinnon, who has 91 points (40 goals, 51 assists). MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals and is second in points.

One bright spot for Colorado is goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood’s performance. He has allowed only one goal, making 51 saves on 52 shots in two games against the Red Wings.

“He’s stringing together some nice games here,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s getting back in the swing of things. … He’s given us a chance to win every night.”

Blackwood’s former team visits on Wednesday night, led by 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini. The young center ranks fourth in the NHL with 81 points (28 goals, 53 assists) and has registered four goals and five assists in his last five games.

San Jose has struggled lately as well, having lost its last three games and four of its last six. Wednesday night will wrap up a five-game road trip and is the final of three matchups against the Avalanche this season.

The Sharks beat Colorado in overtime on Nov. 1 but were routed 6-0 in the second game on Nov. 26.

San Jose won’t have enforcer Ryan Reaves in the lineup Wednesday night after he was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. That opens a roster spot, which will likely be filled by forward Kiefer Sherwood, who would make his Sharks debut.

Sherwood (upper body) was acquired from Vancouver two weeks ago but hasn’t played since Jan. 10. Sherwood, who played 27 games for the Avalanche between 2020 and 2022, has 17 goals and six assists and is two goals away from matching his career high set last season.

San Jose is currently outside the playoff picture in the competitive Western Conference, so every point matters.

“We’ve got one game left until the (Olympics) break,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We’ve got to really zero in on the things we need to do that have made us have success up to this point.”

–Field Level Media