The New England Patriots won their fourth straight game to improve to 5-2 for the season with an impressive road victory in Tennessee. They were in control for most of the game and didn't make any mistakes to give the Titans a chance to mount a comeback. While the offense has looked dominant all afternoon, there were a couple of things Patriots fans can be concerned about. Among them was the performance of their two rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams.
TreVeyon Henderson & Kyle Williams Disappoint in Week 7
Henderson came into Sunday with the need for a big breakout opportunity. Antonio Gibson's season-ending injury gave the rookie a chance at an increased role. Instead, he just played a season-low nine offensive snaps, and just had the fewest touches he has had in a game all season, carrying the ball twice for five yards.
Williams also carried some momentum heading into Week 7. He received praise from the coaching staff earlier in the week, Josh McDaniels potentially teasing more of a role for the third-round selection. In Week 6, he had played a season-high 14 snaps, and many assumed that he could build upon that against the Titans. Instead, he only played 11 snaps and didn't touch the ball at all, getting targeted once.
The two rookies ended up with the worst offensive grades on Pro Football Focus among all Patriots' offensive players. Despite the win, this could be a problem going forward for OC McDaniels and head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots almost certainly expected more from their rookie playmakers considering the draft capital they invested in them. Instead, Henderson currently has 153 yards in 43 attempts, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Williams still only has five targets and two catches for the season.
With how much the ball is getting spread out by Drake Maye, the fact that Henderson and Williams have not been able to make any impact is certainly concerning. Behind Stefon Diggs, there is a very egalitarian offense in New England. On Sunday, seven players had at least two catches for the Patriots, pretty much every offensive weapon besides Williams and Henderson had a catch.
Neither player has a role in the return game, either, after Henderson was taken off those duties to avoid injuries. This minimizes the opportunities the talented rookie can have to make an impact. If Rhamondre Stevenson continues his level of performance from Sunday, Henderson's chances will be few and far between. Similarly, Williams has to continue to wait for his turn as he has not given much of a reason to the coaching staff to be more of an option in the passing game.