Patriots' Coach Wants RBs to Develop Style

It's no surprise the running game has been slow to start the year, but that doesn't mean the New England Patriots are going to abandon it altogether.

Though six games, the healthy running back duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson have rushed the ball 92 times for just 305 yards. After Antonio Gibson was placed on season-ending IR with a torn ACL, it's put more strain on the two backs to carry the rushing load for the Patriots. And yet, it's still be a slog to run the ball.

So how does head coach Mike Vrabel approach his running game, and is it a matter of just out-sprinting the defense? Vrabel doesn't think so, saying it's a lot more nuanced than just being a fast runner.

"I just tell them run where they ain't," Vrabel told reporters this week. "And that's the only way that I know how to coach them, is to tell them to take care of the ball. I think that speed, obviously, is a relative, is a distance. Quickness may be being able to change direction without having to take too many steps. Being able to put your foot in the ground and either jump cut or get downhill, whatever that may be."

With New England set to take on the Tennessee Titans in Vrabel's first game back since being fired as the team's head coach, it's only fitting he brought up one of his old star players to help define the differences between being quick and being fast.

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) runs back a kick off against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

"Whatever the play style is, whatever the skill set is for each player, it's important that they own it and they make them their own," Vrabel said. "Derrick Henry, for example, wasn't the quickest player, but he had speed. And so, again, we tried to emphasize that for him and not make him think that he had to play like a certain back that had a different play style."

As for Stevenson, he's a quick runner, but doesn't possess the game-breaking speed that Henry still has with the Baltimore Ravens. Stevenson's style is a lot more ground and pound, and when he can hold onto the ball, he can be a shifty back that can get in space.

Henderson, the Ohio State rookie the Patriots selected in the second round of this past draft, is a runner with a lot of speed. His ability to out-run defenders is why the team felt he was worthy of the 38th overall selection, though he's been oft-used to start his NFL career.

So as the Patriots prepare for a 1-5 Titans team that has a strong interior defensive line, how the team utilizes the speed of Henderson and the quickness of Stevenson will determine how Vrabel's homecoming game will go in Nashville.

"It'll be a huge challenge here this week for us to be able to block (Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons), to neutralize him and try to gain some yards," Vrabel said.

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