If we're being frank without our name(s) actually being "Frank", the Cincinnati Bengals have more than one problem to negotiate as they brace to face the New England Patriots on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Does one really stand out above the rest?
Well kind of. The prospect of drafting an Ohio State prospect for this Bengals front office appears both a foreign and repugnant one. Can't wait for them to pass on another Buckeye in the 2026 draft.
Week 12 is a sore reminder of that reality. One Patriot and ex-OSU stud is rising fast and is the exact type of weapon who's a nightmare assignment for Cincinnati's sieve-centric defense.
Ascending Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson draws soft matchup vs. Bengals' porous run defense
As if things couldn't be going much better for the 9-2 Pats, the light has gone on so to speak for one of their top draft picks. Former Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson wowed New England fans in the preseason, only to be relegated to minimal duties throughout much of the team's fantastic 2025 campaign.
But oh has Henderson ever come on strong. Over the last four games, Henderson has 57 carries for 339 yards and four TDs, along with 10 catches for 66 yards and another score.
You know what's even scarier? Rhamondre Stevenson looks to be on the mend, which could give Henderson fresher legs for Sunday.
#Patriots coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that RB Rhamondre Stevenson is in position to play after a toe injury. "There wasn't many restrictions. He responded well to the practice."
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2025
The Patriots had a Bengals-esque draft in 2024 — not a compliment, to be clear! — redeemed only by the almost default selection of quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall. Maye has blossomed into a superstar, and New England looks to have gone 5-for-5 on their top five picks from what could be a historic rookie class.
In addition to offensive line starters Will Campbell and Jared Wilson to anchor the left side of the offensive line in front of Maye, safety Craig Woodson is stellar. Then, there's the likes of Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams who are really coming on.
There have only been two instances of a team having three 50+ Yard scrimmage TD by rookies in a single game over the last 50 years
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 9, 2025
2025 Patriots (TreVeyon Henderson 2x, Kyle Williams)
1998 Vikings (Randy Moss 3x) pic.twitter.com/kWApDDD4s4
Amazing what one draft class can do, isn't it? And while Cincinnati has exercised patience to wait for some of its picks to pay off, those young guns haven't shown anything close to the promise that Henderson has.
For a Bengals defense that straight-up can't tackle, with first-year linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter among the worst offenders, TreVeyon Henderson is waking nightmare fuel. A big play waiting to happen. He's as explosive as any young back once he hits the second level, and has the breakaway speed to make a house call from anywhere on the field.
This stings to say, but Cincinnati is soft at the line of scrimmage on defense. That front is toothless sans Trey Hendrickson, and is a big reason why the Bengals yield an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
Henderson is also an adept pass-catcher. You can bet New England play-caller Josh McDaniels will dial up plays to put his dynamic back one-on-one against the likes of Knight and Carter whenever he can.
Carter and Knight rank 85th and 87th out of 88 qualifying linebackers in PFF's run defense grades. That's good, right?
Sarcasm. It gets worse. Ready? What if I told you that, those dudes in pass coverage this season have yielded a combined
If Carter and/or Knight look like this against the likes of Kenneth Gainwell — all due respect, KG — what are they gonna look like against freaking TreVeyon Henderson?
Catch & run for six 🙌 @KENNETHGAINWEL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 16, 2025
📺 #CINvsPIT on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/qJEFJh7R7t