Rookie Tyquan Thornton Felt He ‘Owed’ Patriots — And Delivered

FOXBORO, Mass. — Tyquan Thornton wanted redemption on Sunday, and he got it.

Last weekend, the Patriots rookie dropped a deep pass from Mac Jones on a pivotal play in New England’s heartbreaking loss to the Bengals. Had Thornton caught the ball, the Patriots’ comeback might not have hinged on whether Rhamondre Stevenson held onto the ball in the closing moments.

Well, the young wideout got another opportunity Sunday, and he made the most of it in the Patriots’ season-saving, 23-21 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Thornton caught three balls on seven targets for 60 yards and a touchdown, which occurred on New England’s first offensive drive. He nearly had a second touchdown later in the game but wasn’t able to keep his feet in bounds.

The TD grab was the second of Thornton’s career and the first since his Week 6 breakout against the Browns in Cleveland. After Sunday’s huge victory, the 2022 second-round pick revealed just how important the game was to him.

“It means a lot,” Thornton said. “Just to step up. I feel like I owed them for last week. So just to do that for my quarterback, the rest of the offense and the rest of this organization — it means a lot to me.”

When asked whether he dwelt on his costly drop throughout last week, Thornton said, “No, not at all.” He also said the drop wasn’t the only thing he felt he needed to atone for.

“Just the whole scenario,” Thornton said.

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Thornton will look to build on Sunday’s performance when the Patriots visit the Bills next weekend. If New England leaves Buffalo with a victory, it will clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.

And, given the mounting injuries in the Patriots’ receiving corps, New England might need another big game out of Thornton if it wants to punch a postseason ticket.