New England beat the Raiders 45-17 on Sunday and it still cost them something. TreVeyon Henderson suffered a high right ankle sprain in the second quarter and is expected to miss multiple weeks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the diagnosis Tuesday, adding that Henderson will not need surgery and is “regarded as a quick healer.”
How It Happened
Henderson, 23 and in his second NFL season, was tackled from behind by Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn on an 11-yard run. He went to the medical tent keeping weight off the right leg, was listed questionable, then downgraded to out.
Before exiting he had four carries for 22 yards and a 16-yard catch. For the season he has 42 carries for 163 yards and a rushing touchdown across four games.
The ankle has a history. Henderson hurt the same one slipping on a cut in training camp, missed nearly three weeks and sat out the season opener.
What New England Does Now
Rhamondre Stevenson takes over the bulk of the work. He scored his 30th career rushing touchdown on a five-yard run against Las Vegas and has 201 career receptions, which matters in an offense that has leaned on backs in the passing game.
Corey Kiner is the other active back. Lan Larison is on the practice squad. The team may add depth before Sunday.
The bigger concern is that Henderson is one of several Patriots banged up out of that game. Left tackle Will Campbell sprained the same knee in which he tore his MCL last season. Receiver A.J. Brown is dealing with an ankle issue, Mack Hollins a calf, and right guard Michael Onwenu an ankle.
The Patriots Can Absorb This
New England is 3-2, second in the AFC East, a half-game behind Buffalo with a plus-16 point differential. The Raiders win was the most complete performance of their season: Drake Maye accounted for five total touchdowns and the defense held Las Vegas to 38 rushing yards.
That is the context that makes Henderson’s absence survivable rather than season-altering. This offense is not built around him. Maye is playing at a level that makes the running back room a support unit rather than the engine, and Stevenson is a competent lead back who has done this before.
What New England cannot afford is the injuries compounding. Losing a rotational back is manageable. Losing a back, a left tackle and your top receiver in the same afternoon is how a 3-2 team becomes a 4-6 team.
What Is Still Unclear
No specific return week has been reported, and the Patriots have not said whether Henderson goes to injured reserve, which would cost him four games.
New England hosts the Jets on Sunday.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.