In the New England Patriots’ 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the team’s running backs struggled, racking up just 45 yards on 13 carries. A significant factor in their underperformance was the limited use of rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Henderson managed only five carries for 27 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Matt Dolloff pointed out how the Patriots did not effectively utilize Henderson in both the running and passing games.
“Henderson was underutilized.” Dolloff wrote on Tuesday. “The rookie was on the field for only five of 18 running plays (and got the ball every time). But more egregious is that Henderson was on the field for only 19 of 55 dropbacks for Maye. For all of Henderson’s talent as a runner, he’s also NFL-ready as a pass-protector, and almost certainly would’ve posted a better pass-blocking grade than Stevenson’s 56.4 at Pro Football Focus. Henderson has no pass-blocking grade because they never used him as one.”
While Henderson’s production in the running game was limited, his impact in the passing game was also minimal. He caught six passes for only 24 yards.
Henderson was a significant factor in Ohio State’s passing game, recording 77 receptions for 853 yards and six touchdowns in 47 games.
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Had the Patriots utilized Henderson more in both the running and passing games, the outcome of the contest could have been different. His increased involvement could’ve led to more rushing yards, potentially reducing the need for quarterback Drake Maye to drop back to pass 46 times.
