Pats Pulpit
While they do have some pieces in place, the New England Patriots are in the middle of a rebuild under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. One major part of it is making the overall roster younger, a process that included adding several rookies during the offseason.
During Sunday’s 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, eight of those first-year players saw the field. While not all of them had the same impact, the game as a whole was another step up for the group.
Let’s break it down in greater detail.
LT Will Campbell: Starting his fourth straight game as New England’s left tackle, Campbell was part of an offensive line that surrendered only five quarterback pressures and no sacks against the Panthers. The fourth overall pick in this year’s draft himself, meanwhile, had a clean slate while also performing at a high level as a run blocker. While, yes, the Panthers front is not necessarily one of the NFL’s elite units, the youngest player on the Patriots’ roster — let’s not forget he is still only 21 years old — did what you would want him to do in such a scenario: dominate.
RB TreVeyon Henderson: His fourth career game was a mixed bag for Henderson. Playing 15 snaps for a season-low playing time share of 30.6%, the second-round running back was flagged for his fourth holding call already this season. However, he also scored his first career touchdown on a 5-yard carry in the second quarter, and continued to showcase good ball security a week after the team’s veteran backs — Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson — combined to put the ball on the ground three times. In total, Henderson finished with seven carries for 32 yards (4.6/run) and his TD, plus two catches for 14 and a 20-yard kickoff return.
WR Kyle Williams: The pecking order at the top of the wide receiver depth chart seems established, with Williams finding himself in the tier below together with — at least for this week — DeMario Douglas. The third-round rookie actually out-performed the former starting slot both in terms of snaps and touches, making him New England’s WR4 for the day: Williams was on the field for a career-high 14 snaps (29%) and received a handoff that went for -2 yards. There is obvious room for growth.
S Craig Woodson: Four games, four starts for the fourth-round pick. Woodson led all Patriots defenders in playing time on Sunday, taking the field for all but one of the 69 available snaps. He had five tackles, including two for loss, as well as a pass breakup on a third down. However, he also was in coverage on both of Carolina’s touchdowns and both times got stuck in traffic to arrive at the intended targets late. Nonetheless, the coaching staff continues showing confidence in the UCLA product. That said, he will have to step up his game in case Jaylinn Hawkins misses any time following the hamstring injury...
