Much to the chagrin of the other 31 NFL fan bases, it appears the New England Patriots have officially exited the malaise of the post-Tom Brady, post-Bill Belichick era.
The Patriots absolutely thumped the New York Giants on the scoreboard, winning handily by a 33-15 margin.
Just as importantly, the Patriots absolutely thumped the Giants on the field, too:
#Giants QB Jaxson Dart just got ROCKED: pic.twitter.com/MeN8W5Og7g
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 2, 2025
On offense, a steady, balanced diet of skill position players did enough where nobody stood out especially — but it was enough to score 33 points.
The leading rusher among them was rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who finished the game with 11 carries for 67 yards, while also chipping in three catches for 19 yards.
Henderson is a key component of the Patriots’ young core that is causing so much heartburn for the other NFL teams.
Potential MVP and superstar quarterback Drake Maye is only 23 years old, as is lockdown All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Maye’s starting left tackle and starting left guard are both rookies. Emerging receivers Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams are 23, 24, and 23, respectively.
And Henderson is also only 23 years old. While no skill player may have especially stood out for their on-field play in the Monday night tilt against the Giants, Henderson was able to stand out for what was on his feet.
As part of the NFL’s annual “My Cause, My Cleats” program, Henderson did what many other NFL stars do and put a meaningful message and cause on his cleats for Monday night’s game.
Henderson chose an incredibly meaningful cause for his cleats this year:
Will you stand with them? 🙏🏽 #MyCauseMyCleats pic.twitter.com/25Bqnpeo4o
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) December 1, 2025
“Will you stand with them?” the Henderson post asks.
In a world where Christianity is mocked and ridiculed, Henderson chose to bring attention to the plight of persecuted Christians across the country.
The group Global Christian Relief collaborated with Henderson on these incredible cleats, and noted how “[e]very element of this design leads back to a brother or sister who refused to give up.”
The details on the cleats are well-done. The blood-drip motif of the cleats symbolizes two things, according to GCR: “The blood Christ shed on the cross, and the blood of martyrs who lost their lives pursuing Him.”
The raised crosses: “You see figures holding their crosses high. Despite the blood, despite what they lose, the one thing they never let go of is their faith.”
The cleats also include Scripture, citing Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
There’s also imagery of hands praying, which is evergreen daily advice for Christians.
But perhaps the neatest — or most ominous — part of the cleats was the map included on them. The map purports to show the countries where Christianity is most frequently persecuted.
The shoes are also emblazoned with the phrases, “Pray For Persecuted Christians” and “Faith Endures.”
“They are losing their lives … yet they’re staying faithful,” Henderson told GCR. “Their faithfulness emboldens me to be bold here in the U.S.”
It can’t be overstated how heartwarming it is to see a young man with the world — and a heck of a football career — ahead of him choosing to bring attention to the plight of persecuted Christians across the world.
(For the naysayers, there are a number of countries in the world, many of them predominantly Muslim, that have blasphemy laws on the books. And yes, some of those laws include the death penalty.)
It’s clear that Henderson is a young man with his priorities straight.
And if you have any doubts, the cleats really do speak for themselves.
(As does the Patriots’ ongoing 10-game winning streak that Henderson has contributed to.)
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