The New England Patriots' running attack has been pretty underwhelming this season (Rhamondre Stevenson has eclipsed more than 60 yards in just one game so far, and TreVeyon Henderson is still mostly inefficient), and that's only going to get worse.
Henderson sustained a high-ankle sprain during the Patriots' win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and he is expected to miss multiple weeks, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
New England's depth in the backfield already wasn't great. Outside of Stevenson and Henderson (who have both left a lot to be desired on the field), the Patriots have Corey Kiner (who has only played nine career games, but he did rush for 52 yards on six attempts against the Raiders), and they have Lan Larison and Hassan Haskins on the practice squad. And now, with the Ohio State alum set to miss some time, it's going to be even more difficult for the team to find their rhythm on the ground.
The Patriots will miss having TreVeyon Henderson on the field
It's fair to say that Henderson should be better than he is (he has elite talent and is incredibly athletic, but he still struggles between the tackles and is one of the least efficient runners in the league), but what he is is still somewhat of an impactful player.
The 23-year-old is incredibly explosive and dynamic. He has legitimate home-run and big-play ability. Even if he has 10 rushing attempts that go for two yards each and make you wonder why he's even on the field, he will randomly have a run go for 70 yards and a touchdown (his one touchdown of the season so far was a 39-yard rush against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2). Nobody else in New England's backfield has this in their bag.
Henderson has so much potential; he just needs to iron some things out. Unfortunately for him and the Patriots, he won't be able to do that while he's sidelined. And now, New England needs to figure out how to make up for his absence, and the truth is, it probably can't.
At this point, Stevenson is what he is. He's a good lead back, but he's not a game-changer like Henderson is. He's not speedy or explosive. He doesn't have any big-play potential. And he's not someone opposing defenses need to fear. (And we don't really know anything about Kiner yet, but it's not too promising that the Patriots basically need to rely on him now, given that he was an undrafted free agent just last year.)
Henderson isn't a perfect running back, but he still provides value to New England. And with him likely on the shelf for a few weeks, the Patriots' running game (and, in turn, the offense in general) is going to lose a big part of its dynamic.
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