Heading into this season, the Patriots were anticipated to have a quality run game this year. The emergence of TreVeyon Henderson in training camp and preseason play bolstered an already solid running back group that included Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.
While they look good on paper, Patriot ballcarriers failed to be effective running the ball in their loss to the Raiders, combining for 60 yards on 18 carries. Henderson, who was expected to lead the team in carries, recorded only five carries for 27 yards, playing in just 25 snaps.
If the Patriots want to have any success running the ball, they need to give their second-round pick more snaps.
TreVeyon Henderson Needs More Snaps
In just his first game, Henderson showcased that he’s the team's best option at running back. Against the Raiders, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry while also recording six receptions for 24 yards on 25 snaps.
Although he had just five carries, each carry displayed his 4.43 40-yard dash speed and willingness to fight for every extra yard. Not only is he great at running the ball, but he’s also a reliable option in the pass game and a solid pass-protector, receiving a 65.6 pass block grade per PFF.
In his four-year college career, Henderson was a coach’s dream running back. He recorded 3,761 rushing yards, averaging a ridiculous 6.4 yards per carry, 77 receptions for 853 yards, and 48 combined touchdowns.
He has demonstrated that he’s an all-around playmaker, and he must be utilized accordingly. His skill set alone puts him over both Stevenson and Gibson, both of whom proved to be ineffective on Sunday. Stevenson doesn’t have the juice he had in 2022, and his fumble issues from last year loom over him, while Gibson has only proved to be reliable in the pass game and appeared in only five snaps.
The good teams are the ones that are productive in the run game, and in Week 1, the Patriots proved to be ineffective and abandoned it in the second half of Sunday’s loss, running the ball only three times. They cannot afford to do this again in their upcoming game against the Dolphins.
In their loss to the Colts, the Dolphins allowed 156 rushing yards, which was the 6th-most given up by any team. If the Patriots are to finally beat Tua Tagovailoa, they must exploit the Dolphins’ poor run defense by giving Henderson the majority of the snaps and carries at running back.