Patriots Snap Counts: Antonio Gibson Plays Over TreVeyon Henderson

The New England Patriots played their first-team offense against the Minnesota Vikings, but they hardly used rookie TreVeyon Henderson. With presumed starter Rhamondre Stevenson battling a minor injury, overlooked veteran Antonio Gibson saw the majority of the snaps and recorded a few carries. Henderson only played two snaps on the opening drive and failed to catch his lone target from Drake Maye.

The roles were reversed on the second drive, as Henderson saw most of the action while Gibson came on in relief. The rookie made the most of this opportunity, converting a 3rd and 10 with an 11-yard carry before scoring the game’s first touchdown.

This seems to imply that TreVeyon Henderson will begin his career as a rotational player and could be the third option on this depth chart. This isn’t too surprising, as head coach Mike Vrabel is an old-school coach who historically wants his rookies to earn playing time. What is important is that Henderson came on the field in clear passing situations, which is consistent with how Vrabel used him last week.

At the risk of overreacting to one or two preseason drives, this usage seems to imply that Henderson is not one long-term Rhamondre Stevenson injury away from receiving a three-down workload. Perhaps he can earn a larger role as the season progresses, but if Stevenson’s injury lingers, Gibson and Henderson will likely split backfield opportunities fairly evenly.