Mike Vrabel cannot keep holding this rookie back when Patriots need him most

"Led by quarterback Drake Maye and No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football and emerged as an AFC East contender. One aspect of the offense is still lagging, though, the running game. It's time for Head Coach to take the diapers off his second-round pick, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and unleash him on the NFL. The Patriots' 2025 running game stinks. Combined, the three top running backs have a paltry total of 366 yards in five games. Rhamondre Stevenson leads the Patriots' backs with a mere 139 yards with an average of 27 yards per game. Second on the list is Henderson with a mere 121 yards and an average of 24 per game."

"Henderson was drafted in the 2025 second round by Vrabel to bring explosiveness to the backfield. So where is he? He's only had 32 carries in five games, an average of six. Vrabel is babying him, and it should end. It's time to unleash this potential game-breaker to balance the dynamic Drake Maye-led passing offense, which will become even more dangerous with a legitimate running threat."

"The 2025 Patriots' running back room has been mediocre. The only back to have an average per carry of more than 4.0 is Antonio Gibson with 4.2. With him now on the shelf, the options for more carries are Rhamondre Stevenson, who's fumbled more times than he's scored touchdowns the past two seasons, and rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Stevenson had 32 carries in the first five games with a 3.7-yard average and three fumbles (he had seven in 2024), while Henderson had 32 carries with a 3.8-yard average and no fumbles."

Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs lead a potent passing attack that helped the Patriots beat the Bills and emerge as an AFC East contender. The Patriots' running game through five 2025 games has produced only 366 yards from the top three backs. Rhamondre Stevenson leads with 139 yards (about 27 yards per game) while rookie TreVeyon Henderson has 121 yards (about 24 yards per game) on 32 carries. Antonio Gibson is out for the year, creating opportunity for more carries. Henderson was a 2025 second-round pick who has shown explosiveness and no fumbles; increasing his snaps would add a legitimate rushing threat and better balance the offense.

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