Hunter Henry received an explanation for his touchdown-that-wasn’t in last Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He still doesn’t agree with it, but he’s willing to view the controversial call as a learning experience.
The New England Patriots tight end rehashed that pivotal play — his third-quarter touchdown being overturned upon video review — Monday during an interview with WEEI’s “Gresh & Keefe.”
“They said I didn’t ‘survive the ground,’ so that’s the explanation I got,” Henry said. “Just got to live with it, try to be better for it and control the ball all the way through. I feel like I did, personally, but it is what it is. … Just try to maybe hold onto that thing a little harder, a little tougher. Try to fight through the ground contract, just try to expect it a little bit more. It happens so fast, so it’s hard to say that.
“But just trying to learn from it, and try to make that play and make sure it doesn’t move in a way next time. It’s tough to say that it’ll be perfect next time — it happens so fast — just try to go execute my job at a better level so there’s no question at all.”
NFL vice president of officiating Walt Anderson gave the same explanation in a postgame pool report, saying Henry did not “survive the ground” on the play. The touchdown would have given the Patriots a 30-23 lead. Instead, they settled for a field goal, and the Vikings scored the final 10 points to win 33-26 in a Thanksgiving thriller at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Henry, who caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mac Jones earlier in the game, was eager to move on from the controversial ruling, shifting his focus toward this Thursday night’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.
“It is what it is, man,” he said on WEEI. “I’ve said my piece. I’ve moved on. I’m ready to play this Thursday. I’ve got my eyes locked on Buffalo. That’s a really good team, and just ready to go out there and compete this Thursday.”
