This season, the New England Patriots have had an excellent year, boasting a 9-2 record, which makes the Super Bowl a real consideration. What makes this even more impressive is that the team has not been playing at full health, and one area where this is evident is the RB room.
Since Week 8, starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson has been out, but while gone, rookie TreVeyon Henderson has been sensational for the Patriots. Now, in Week 12, Stevenson is set to return from this injury, and with how well Henderson has been playing, New England has an interesting decision to make at RB.
Who Is the Starting RB on New England’s Depth Chart?
When looking at the Patriots’ current depth chart, Stevenson is listed as the starter. This makes sense given his five years with the team and his prior experience as the starter.
Although when looking at PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Stevenson was not playing at a high level when healthy. There were two games in which Stevenson was ranked 10th among all RBs, but in the other three, he was ranked 33rd, 36th, and 30th (5 games were scored in the metric).
With Stevenson’s inconsistent play, having three fumbles on the season, and Henderson’s strong performance, there is a real possibility that Stevenson may no longer be the starter.
Speaking of Henderson, the rookie has burst on the scene in the past two weeks. Against the Buccaneers, he had 147 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, marking the best game of his young career, but that title may not have lasted long. The following week, Henderson had 62 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, five receptions for 31 yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
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Preventing the Patriots’ dynamic rookie RB from continuing his excellent play would be a questionable decision. Although this scenario could now be more of an RB by committee, Henderson should still get the bulk of carries.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel did speak to the media before the game and answered the question about his plan for the running backs. “TreVeyon [Henderson] is going to still run the ball,” Vrabel said. “Rhamondre. Terrell [Jennings]. They’re all going to have a role. That’s what this is about. No different than what we’re doing at receiver. If one guy is doing really well, then that’s what is going to go. But we’re going to use all these guys and try to get something out of them.”
Outlook for Sunday’s Game Against the Cincinnati Bengals
According to PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric, the Cincinnati Bengals are ranked the worst in defensive impact score. The Patriots should be able to dominate on offense, and with the RBs as the focus, both Stevenson and Henderson could have big games.
Stevenson will be able to pick up the tough yards, and as long as he keeps the ball off the ground, that should be his role for the day. For Henderson, there is a real chance he can have another multiple-touchdown game and even get to over 100 yards on the day.
