TreVeyon Henderson is trending toward making his season debut for the New England Patriots this week, and it couldn’t be coming at a better time.
The Seattle Seahawks held quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense in check during last week’s season opener, spinning the dial with their patented split-safety zone looks on defense. Maye did a fine job avoiding sacks and coverage traps until top wideout A.J. Brown got injured in the third quarter, and the wheels completely fell off in the fourth quarter.
In the aftermath, Henderson’s absence may have had a bigger impact on the game than it seemed.
According to analytics expert Ryan Paganetti, offensive formations with two running backs performed well against two-high safeties in Week 1.
The kryptonite for defenses playing two high may have been found: two back formations.
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) September 17, 2026
Offenses used two back alignments on 14.3% of Week 1 plays, the NFL’s highest Week 1 rate in a decade.
Against coverages that kept the middle of the field open, those formations produced:…
TreVeyon Henderson can give Drake Maye the easy answers he missed in Week 1
As they prepare for their Week 2 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots have the luxury of knowing what defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wants to do. Only one team played 100 percent zone in Week 1 — Graham’s Steelers against backup quarterback Cooper Rush and the Atlanta Falcons.
Given Maye’s recent struggles with deceptive zone defenses, specifically Cover 6 (Seattle’s bread and butter), there’s no reason to expect the Steelers to change their stripes against the Patriots.
That’s where Henderson’s pending return to the lineup could make a big difference. The Patriots love Rhamondre Stevenson’s all-around skill set, but they desperately need Henderson’s speed.
The Patriots deployed two-plus running backs at a high rate in 2025
Per Sharp Football Analysis, the Patriots used 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end, two wide receivers) on 19 percent of their offensive plays in 2025. That was the third-highest mark in football, behind the 49ers and Dolphins.
McDaniels had to scrap that plan with Henderson out against the Seahawks last week. The Patriots played the majority of that game with one running back (Stevenson) and two tight ends (Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon) on the field. New fullback Reggie Gilliam only played 11 snaps in the game.
Going zone against the Patriots has been a good strategy, as the offensive line hasn’t proven it can hold up against a four-man pass rush. Maye often ignores easy checkdowns for a chance to give his receivers a chance to make a big play downfield.
But you know Maye has gotten an earful from his coaches on taking the easy money, and there should be plenty of it against the Steelers in the flats and over the middle with Henderson set to mix back into the lineup this week.
Especially with Brown now out of the lineup, Henderson's skill set and ability to create mismatches in the passing game could help Maye and the Patriots' offense get back on track.
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