FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Rookies are bound to make mistakes in such a competitive and physical league. There is no denying that. 

And on Sunday, Demario Douglas did just that, making a costly mistake. The rookie hauled in a pass from Mac Jones and tried to cut across the field, but Bradley Chubb came up from behind him, knocking the ball loose. And it was the Miami Dolphins who recovered the fumble.

However, his teammates have rallied around him, supporting him and ensuring that this doesn't lower his confidence level. And veteran tight end Hunter Henry even provided Douglas with a similar story of something he did during his rookie season. 

"I actually talked to him on Monday and told him a similar story to me actually," Henry told reporters. "Third game of my career, it's the first game I'm starting… I was starting, had a pretty good game."

"We have a two minute drive down." Henry added. "All we need is a field goal. I run a really good route. There's about a minute left in the game. I catch the ball… I'm looking at the next guy and not thinking about what's going on and the ball gets poked out from behind."

It was a moment that the tight end would never forget, as it taught him a vital lesson. 

"I actually lost the game for our team in a two minute drive situation," Henry said. "Really woke me up to this level and humbled me a lot and I learned a lot and I've realized that I needed to get on the ball a little tighter. So I kind of conveyed that to him."  

Henry was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, remaining there for five seasons before joining the Patriots. 

And while it was somewhat of a rocky start for him with the Chargers, Henry refused to let that game keep him down. Instead, he went out the next game and recorded a first for his resume. 

"I had a good game. Actually had my first touchdown the name game and had a pretty solid game. It was definitely a motivation factor that week. I was excited to get back out there on Sunday." 

Henry hopes that Douglas can use his story as additional motivation. And while he still remembers that fumble, he has proven that he can easily put that behind him. And that shows in his 433 targets for 3,542 yards and 34 touchdowns across his eight seasons. 

So, with Douglas' impressive preseason along with his desire to improve, Henry has complete confidence in his fellow teammate. 

"Pops a great player," he said. "We need him. He's gonna learn from that. He's gonna learn a lot from it. I enjoy gong out there and competing with him. He's done a lot of great things for us." 

Patriots’ Demario Douglas using his mistake as a learning experience

Always looking to get better.

Featured Image via Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports