Rhamondre Stevenson's injury became a massive double-edged sword for Patriots

"In life, things don't always go as planned. That rings especially true in the NFL, with New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson's breakout being living proof of that notion. Henderson was arguably the league's offseason darling entering his inaugural pro campaign. Every Patriots beat writer was fawning over him, and for good reason; he continued feeding into the hype with one highlight after another."

"Stevenson had firmly operated as New England's No. 1 tailback before a toe issue that has cost him three games, and perhaps his job. He's assuredly not going to assume the same workload when back in the lineup, let alone remain atop the depth chart. Yet, Henderson probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to usurp him without injury, which seems absurd with the benefit of hindsight, right?"

"Conversely, the Patriots were still figuring out how to effectively utilize Henderson's electrifying speed. They've put greater emphasis on getting him in space, where his explosiveness and vision have been on full display. He's seen a 9.8 percent uptick in man/gap concept runs sans Stevenson (h/t Fantasy Points' data suite [$]), which has evidently paid dividends. Henderson has been spectacular in three starts, punctuated by a three-touchdown Thursday Night Football performance in the Pats' 27-14 win over the New York Jets."

TreVeyon Henderson rose into a prominent role for the New England Patriots after Rhamondre Stevenson missed games with a toe issue. Stevenson had been the team's No. 1 running back before the injury and now faces reduced workload and possible displacement. Henderson's play improved markedly as the season progressed, with the Patriots emphasizing his speed and vision by getting him into space. Without Stevenson, Henderson's man/gap concept runs rose 9.8 percent, resulting in increased opportunities. In three starts he accumulated 330 scrimmage yards, five touchdowns, and averaged 5.8 yards per touch, including a three-touchdown game against the Jets.

Read at Musket Fire