New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has only needed five games to prove what he brings to a franchise that has struggled since seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With only one playoff berth in the last five seasons, a 3-2 start combined with Sunday’s win over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills has the fan base feeling confident about the Pats’ outlook, even if things aren’t perfect.

One area that has frustrated fans this season has been New England’s running back room.

The Patriots continue to be loyal to RB Rhamondre Stevenson despite his three turnovers this season. With Antonio Gibson dealing with a torn ACL that he suffered during a kickoff return in Week 5, you would think rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson would be counted on to step up and provide a much-needed boost to a struggling run game.

During his Monday press conference, Vrabel’s comments suggest there is still more work that needs to be done from Henderson.

“He’s just continuing to see things out there in the different run schemes,” Vrabel said, per Carlos A. Lopez of Sleeper HQ. “We’ve tried to find him. We’ll have some more stuff for him and everybody else (who) can help us. I’d like to have him get going on kickoff returns.”

Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Must Start Valuing TreVeyon Henderson

Vrabel can say he’s been trying “to find” Henderson all season, but that the rookie’s lack of playing time says otherwise. Henderson has only seen 123 offensive snaps compared to Stevenson’s 171, and that’s without mentioning how Gibson has stolen some plays with 52 snaps of his own.

In other words, if Vrabel wanted to maximize Henderson’s potential upside, he would.

Stevenson leads the team in carries (38) and rush yards (139) and is fourth in receiving yards (154), but his fumbles continue to be an issue. According to Pro Football Focus, his overall grade (55.1) is only 41st out of 47 qualified RBs, while his 139 rush yards are 37th. That alone should raise some eyebrows and be enough of a reason to insert Henderson into the lineup more often.

Henderson’s PFF overall grade (56.2) is only slightly better, but it has also occurred in limited action. He still has one TD in that time and only 18 fewer yards on the ground than Stevenson, not to mention he has yet to fumble this season. Stevenson has 23 career TDs and is in his fifth NFL season, but Henderson has been just as versatile this year with 90 receiving yards to go along with his 121 rush yards.

Stevenson’s struggles should not distract from the bigger issues on this Patriots squad. In five games, New England ranks 27th in rushing yards per game (95.2) despite having an offensive line that is sixth in run block win rate. With quarterback Drake Maye and wide receiver Stefon Diggs playing lights-out, this run game needs to improve and give them a balanced attack on offense to be a legitimate contender.

Henderson has not done much to stand out from Stevenson aside from his lack of giveaways, but his high upside as a second-round draft pick should speak for itself. Vrabel’s recent comments, though, suggest he may have to prove his worth some more for his playing time to increase.