New injury has Patriots staring at alarming issue that could wreck their offense

The New England Patriots kept up their winning ways with a 33-15 win over the New York Giants. It upped their season's record to 11-2, still two games atop the AFC East. Yet one position remains thin: running back. Yesterday, Terrell Jennings went out with an injury, further weakening the already depleted unit. Thankfully, they have terrific rookie TreVeyon Henderson on hand.

The good news against the Giants was that Patriots running backs, with their makeshift offensive line, racked up a respectable 119 yards rushing. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson, clearly now the No. 1 back, led the way with 67 yards on 11 carries, a 6.1-yard average.

Rhnamondre Stevenson added just 40 yards on 12 carries for a 3.3-yard average. It's becoming increasingly clear that Henderson deserves the lion's share of the carries and Stevenson is the backup.

Yet, Jennings' injury, if sustained, leaves the team very thin at running back, and another injury, especially to Henderson, could be catastrophic.

Mike Vrabel dropped the ball at the trade deadline to add more depth to key positions

Mike Vrabel has been justifiably hailed for his stunningly proficient offseason. He not only added solidity to his offense with better players, especially on the offensive line and at wide receiver, but also on defense, adding playmakers at every level. One area he didn't address in the offseason, other than adding Henderson in the second round of the draft, was running back depth.

Antonio Gibson's going out for the season early, leaving only the oft-fumbling Stevenson and Henderson to carry the load. Now with Jennings' injury, the team has even less depth.

Jennings had no carries yesterday. We'll see if his injury is long-term or not. Regardless, Vrabel should have moved to add a running back at the deadline after Gibson's costly injury in Week 5, but didn't. It's one of his few personnel gaffes this season, but it could ultimately be costly.

TreVeyon Henderson has to be the lead back for the rest of the season

Mike Vrabel had a terrific free agency, adding starters all over the field on both sides of the ball. But at running back, he left himself thin and then doubled up on the mistake at the trade deadline. It's clear that Henderson is his best back, and he seldom fumbles, a trait that has cost Stevenson his job to a great extent and will likely ticket him out of town this offseason.

Vrabel and Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels foolishly kept Henderson on the bench early. That was a gaffe, as no other back on the Patriots possesses his explosiveness. That's been evident whenever there's been even a semblance of a hole opened up by his poor run-blocking offensive line.

Regardless, Henderson still has a respectable 625 yards on the ground this season with a solid 4.8-yard average and five touchdowns. If Jennings is out for any length of time, two veterans on the practice squad, D'Ernest Johnson or Craig Reynolds, may be the choices to fill his role.

Vrabel has an imperative to bolster the running back room this offseason, probably with two additions, especially if Stevenson is traded or released. He messed up by not adding depth at the trade deadline at running back and elsewhere. He stood pat, an omission that could be costly if either of his two remaining backs is injured. If they are, he'd have diminished his own playoff hopes.