Henderson vs. Stevenson: How the Patriots Split Third-Down Snaps So Far
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Coming into this season, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson was expected to be an explosive weapon for the New England Patriots.
Given his impressive preseason, which included a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Commanders in the opener, the hope was we’d see more of him in the offense in the regular season, with Josh McDaniels possibly using him to complement veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. The only question was simply how they would mix him into the line-up.
Following the 2025 Patriots Draft, many analysts felt that due to Henderson’s size, he might not be someone who could handle the workload as a lead back. The belief was that maybe he would be a player to fill a role on third down, much in the same way we saw from former Patriots running back James White.
Through two games, that expectation hasn’t quite come to pass. Or at least not yet, as the club continues getting ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
When it comes to third down, it’s been Rhamondre Stevenson who has gotten the majority of the time, with Henderson coming in well behind him.
Looking at the Patriots snap counts through two weeks, Stevenson has seen the field on 19 of the club’s 26 third-down plays, while Henderson’s been out there on 10 of those snaps. However, one interesting note is that out of those totals, we’ve seen several plays where the two backs have been out on the field at the same time together in those situations, with Henderson seeing time on 4 of those 10 snaps alongside Stevenson. He’s also been out there on one snap with Gibson.
Running Back Third Down Snaps (Through 2 Weeks):
Week 1 vs Raiders:
Week 2 at Miami:
But the fact Henderson has seen this much time so early in his career is impressive, especially considering that in the past, that hasn’t been the case. Previous backs like Damien Harris and during the early part of Stevenson’s career, neither saw anywhere near the amount of the overall playing time Henderson’s seen this early in his career.
Part of that is due to how well Henderson performs on blitz pick up, which is something he previously mentioned he took pride in during his time at Ohio State. That’s been a point of emphasis even going back to Bill Belichick’s tenure, and it’s certainly been important given the importance of protecting second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
So far, both Henderson and Stevenson are tied for the team lead in third-down receptions, with each coming in with three catches. Stevenson has three grabs for 79 yards (two first downs), while Henderson has hauled in three passes for 28 yards (1 first down).
They’re both also tied with Stefon Diggs, who joins them with three receptions for 22 yards (1 first down).
On the ground, Stevenson has run the football three times for 9 yards (1 first down), while Henderson has one rush for 14 yards (1 first down). Maye has carried twice for 15 yards (both first downs).
For now, it’s been interesting to see that the Patriots have kept Stevenson as the lead back in that situation, especially given how things have played out when looking at their time on the field.
Considering how much the offense morphed from Week 1 to what we saw against Miami, there will likely be more changes to come. After what we’ve already seen, it should be interesting to see how Henderson’s role evolves over the coming months as he continues settling into the offense.
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