The rushing attack was expected to be an essential aspect of the New England Patriots' offense this season. It was an offensive approach that worked for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, although having Derrick Henry certainly played a massive role in that.
Through five games, the Patriots' numbers on the ground haven't been spectacular. New England is 23rd in the NFL in that department, averaging a meager 3.8 yards per game. Rhamondre Stevenson's ball-security issues have cropped up again - he lost another fumble in Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills - and TreVeyon Henderson has been settling into the offense as a rookie.
The running back room took a significant hit in Orchard Park when Antonio Gibson was lost for the season due to a knee injury. Fortunately, second-year quarterback Drake Maye is playing great football.
Although the ground game hasn't been spectacular, Vrabel isn't too worried and noted that it takes a village to run the football effectively.
Mike Vrabel on the Patriots' run game: "Just keep working at it...It has to be better at the line of scrimmage, at the second level, and try to finish and break some of these. We've had some good runs, but not enough of them...we've got to stop talking about being one guy away,…
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) October 8, 2025
Patriots know they have to be better on the ground for the offense to fully thrive
Vrabel stated that the Patriots not having enough big plays in the run game could be a glaring issue that proves to be a fatal flaw. New England's longest run of the season so far? 22 yards. Stevenson has also fumbled the ball four times, and while he bounced back with two touchdowns in the win over Buffalo, that's a stat that has to change - and fast.
The Patriots have two rookies on their offensive line, so patience in the run game is a big virtue. Left tackle Will Campbell's blocking in the pass game has been slightly better than that in the running game, but that will come.
The Patriots should have been able to run the ball more effectively against a Buffalo team that came into the game as one of the league's worst teams at stopping the run. While New England ultimately won the game riding the arm of Maye, there will be games where the quarterback doesn't have his best stuff, and the running backs are going to have to step up.
Vrabel's concerns are warranted, but his optimism should be encouraging. Stevenson and Henderson are quality running backs capable of having big games, and they're coming.