Tyquan Thornton played in his first NFL game in Week 5, a 29-0 New England Patriots drubbing at the expense of the Detroit Lions.
Seven days later, the rookie wide receiver hauled in the first touchdown of his very young professional career.
Thornton put an exclamation point on the Patriots’ very efficient opening drive of the second half in Sunday’s road matchup with the Cleveland Browns. The nine-play jaunt, which included a 53-yard catch-and-run from Jonnu Smith, concluded when fellow New England rookie Bailey Zappe found Thornton in the end zone for a 2-yard score. Zappe’s third touchdown pass in as many games gave the Patriots a two-score lead at FirstEnergy Stadium.
A second-round pick in this year’s NFL draft, Thornton started the season on injured reserve due to a fractured collarbone. The Baylor product caught two passes for 7 yards in his NFL debut against the Lions. His touchdown against the Browns was a nice lift for the Patriots, who were without Nelson Agholor against Cleveland and saw Kendrick Bourne sustain a toe injury early in Sunday’s game.
The visitors received their first Week 6 touchdown from sophomore running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who made a bit of Patriots history with his 31-yard dash to the end zone late in the second quarter.
