TreVeyon Henderson stats vs. Jets: Is Patriots rookie here to stay after 3-touchdown game? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
New England Patriots fans and fantasy owners alike spent much of the first two months of the season asking Mike Vrabel to give rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson more opportunities. After injuries left Vrabel with no choice, Henderson appears to be here to stay.
The second-round rookie out of Ohio State has fulfilled expectations with Rhamondre Stevenson out, breaking free for two long touchdown runs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and making his presence felt Thursday night with three touchdowns against the New York Jets.
While efficiency wasn’t easy to come by for Henderson on Thursday, he was a force in the red zone
Here’s a look at Henderson’s performance on “Thursday Night Football” and whether he will be the Patriots’ full-time starter at running back.
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Henderson scored three touchdowns on Thursday, including his first career receiving touchdown, but he rushed for only 47 yards on 15 carries to go along with 31 receiving yards on five catches.
The big plays eluded Henderson in Week 11 after he broke free for two long touchdown runs against the Buccaneers in Week 10. Still, he did some of his best work in the red zone, scoring each of the Patriots’ three touchdowns
The highlight of Henderson’s night was his first touchdown, which came after he spun around, stayed alive and was pushed in by a pack of teammates.
Henderson’s first receiving touchdown put the Patriots in front by two scores in the third quarter.
Henderson is now up to 657 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns on the season, ranking third among rookies behind only Emeka Egbuka and Ashton Jeanty.
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The Patriots seem to be chugging along just fine with Henderson as their feature back, but whether Vrabel is sold on him as the team’s clear-cut No. 1 isn’t clear.
Vrabel was hesitant to give Henderson a large workload before Stevenson was sidelined with a toe injury, even after Stevenson battled ball security issues early in the season. Even Terrell Jennings competed with Henderson for touches, though Jennings was active on Thursday and didn’t see many touches behind Henderson and D’Ernest Johnson.
Stevenson practiced in a limited capacity this past week as he dealt with a toe injury, so he appears to be close to returning. Even if Vrabel is committed to a timeshare in the backfield, that would be a step up for Henderson compared to the limited role he played early in the season.
Here’s a look at New England’s depth chart in the backfield.
Stevenson spent much of the first half of the season as the Patriots’ lead back. While Henderson has made his claim for a larger role when Stevenson is healthy, fans will have to wait and see whether he or Stevenson leads the way in touches once New England’s backfield is at full strength.
Jennings competed with Henderson for touches behind Stevenson early in the season, but he entered Thursday questionable and saw his role largely go to D’Ernest Johnson. With an extended break before Week 11, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jennings settle back in as the Patriots’ No. 3 running back.