Jones, Henry strengthening bond on & off field

Neighbors forging connection for Pats

When it comes to mastering the Patriots playbook, quarterbacks and receivers need to have a shared brain. They need to be able to read the defense and see the field the same way, almost having a kind of mental telepathy.

That kind of unspoken connection was on display with Tom Brady and several of his Patriots receivers and tight ends, most notably Rob Gronkowski, Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.

Now Mac Jones is hoping to have that same type of bond with his pass-catchers, and already appears headed in that direction with tight end Hunter Henry.

Against the Texans, Jones and Henry looked like they were forged on the same path. They were on the same wavelength on several plays, most notably on Henry’s 13yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Their chemistry is clearly growing.

And why not?

They’ve worked hard both during and after practices to build the type of chemistry and trust that would make their connection special.

But there’s more to it. Along with seeing each other for countless hours at Gillette Stadium, they also spend quite a bit of time together at home. They happen to be neighbors.

And given the close proximity, Henry and his wife Parker spend a lot of time with Jones and his girlfriend, Sophie Scott.

Does that mean Henry crashes in on Jones’ walkthrough sessions with Sophie in the backyard, where the couple work through plays together?

“Nah, I leave that to those two,” said Henry, adding with a laugh: “That’s their date night I guess.”

Still, Henry and Jones have spent plenty of time nurturing their relationship, and building that all-important trust. While they don’t drive in to the stadium together, they’ve enjoyed family cookouts, or just hanging out at each other’s homes. It all counts in the process.

“We’ve definitely hung out, and had them outside (for cookouts). They’re good fun,” Henry said of Mac and Sophie. “Me and my wife definitely try to do that all the time with different people on the team, having people over, all that kind of stuff. That’s huge.

“Building that chemistry, building that camaraderie, I mean that stuff goes a long way. It translates to the field, too.”

And while their dogs Rose, a Maltipoo, and Cooper, a miniature Goldendoodle, haven’t become friends just yet because Mac’s dog is young and has yet to be spayed, the parents are getting along just fine.

Off the field, Henry described Jones as “laid back, and fun to be around. He’s got a good personality.”

On the football field, their connection has really started to hit its stride during the past few weeks. On Sunday, Henry caught six passes for 75 yards, with a game-tying touchdown in the 25-22 win.

“I think that connection always continues to build, especially the amount of time you spend with each other, the reps you get, the practice reps, the game reps, there’s a lot of trust there, and we’re continuing to build that,” he said. “He’s doing a good job. I’m trying to improve every day. It’s definitely come a long way since a couple weeks ago.

“I’d say on the field is the biggest thing,” he went on, “but at the same time, you definitely want to build chemistry off the field whether it’s talking in the locker room and hanging out.”

Henry has said all along that Jones was going to be a great quarterback in the league. Getting to know him even more hasn’t altered his view.

“The kid’s definitely special,” said Henry. “He has a lot of talent and he’s continuing to improve. I’m happy to play with him. And I’m excited for the future with him.”

On Wednesday, Jones described Henry as being a “great dude” and a “real likable guy.” He also described both of them as being “perfectionists” on the field.

“He has fun with the game, but he also takes it very seriously. It means a lot to him to do it the right way,” Jones said of Henry during his media session. “He’s a perfectionist like a lot of us on the offense. He’s been great. He’s a new player in this system, too. We have a few of those, but at this point, we’re kind of evolving away from (being new players).”

Both are also doing their best to experience the city, and become Bostonians. Henry said he’s made the rounds, which includes going downtown, dining in the city and seeing some of the sights. He’s also hit Cape Cod since signing on with the Patriots in March.

Part of that acclimation also means rooting on the other sports teams. Henry said he went to a Celtics game in the spring, and has been to Fenway Park a couple times, cheering on the Sox. He’s enamored with the park. “It was really cool,” said Henry. “I obviously heard about the history (of the Sox), seen the stadium from pictures, but being there, it was really cool.”

Having played on the West Coast with the Chargers, Henry said he’s looking forward to the change of seasons. Jones, meanwhile, has never played a game in the snow. He’s also looking forward to that, although any New Englander will tell you be careful what you wish for when it comes to the weather. “It’s nice to have seasons and temperature change, in a way,” said Henry. “It’s nice to kind of have some weather sometimes, too. Obviously, you get a lot of weather up here.” Maybe he and Jones will shovel or plow each other out to get to the stadium on time.

But for right now, and most importantly, they’re doing whatever it takes so they can click on the field. Watching them Sunday, they’re reading each other, and reading off of each other. Like any good quarter back receiver duo, they’re gaining a sixth sense with each other. Said Henry: “I think we’re all kind of coming together. Right now, that’s the biggest thing.”