Patriots Week 9 snap counts: New Patriots get opportunity

Here are four takeaways from the Patriots’ snap counts from their 24-23 win against the Falcons in Week 9.

Rhamondre Stevenson’s absence from Sunday’s game meant the Patriots were limited with running back personnel. A perceived strength of the team entering the season has turned into a major weakness, due to inconsistent performances from Stevenson and a season-ending injury to Antonio Gibson.

Then Friday, the Patriots announced Stevenson — their leading rusher — would miss the game with a toe injury.

That meant rookie TreVeyon Henderson, who generated many highlights during preseason camp, was set to make his first NFL start at running back. He played well during his 51 snaps (75%), rushing for 55 yards on 14 rushes. Terrell Jennings, who was elevated from the Patriots’ practice squad after Gibson’s injury, had 11 carries for 35 yards while recording his first NFL touchdown.

Rookie Kyle Williams was quickly thrust up the depth chart when Kayshon Boutte left the game with a hamstring injury after 18 snaps. Williams saw the field for a career-high 31 snaps, receiving one target from Drake Maye. There appeared to be some kind of miscommunication on the route, as the ball was thrown well behind the area of the field Williams ran toward. Boutte was ruled day-to-day by Vrabel in his Monday press conference.

Now Williams, a third-round draft pick out of Washington State, will get his shot to prove himself.

“Well, he settled down,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “He had to play a lot of different positions, and there are a lot of moving parts. And Kayshon [Boutte] went down, and Kyle's been learning a lot of different positions.

“I'm excited that he'll probably get an opportunity here, a little greater opportunity going forward. It's just a lot of different personnel groups and alignments.”

The Patriots used Jack Westover and Khyiris Tonga, a defensive lineman, at fullback as offensive blockers on Sunday. Westover received the most snaps (31) while Tonga, who posted two tackles in 21 defensive snaps, received one offensive snap.

Charles Woods entered the game in the fourth quarter for Christian Gonzalez, who left the contest with a head injury while contesting a pass from star receiver Drake London. Woods played 14 snaps at cornerback, serving as a member of a defense that kept the Falcons from scoring a go-ahead score on their final possession of the game.

Gonzalez was made available to the media for a postgame press conference, explaining he felt fine and would have returned