The Patriots had TreVeyon Henderson cooking on inside zone late in the first quarter yesterday. A big play was there for the taking. Then Cameron Latu whiffed on his block, and the moment evaporated.
It's a small moment in a single game, but it says everything about why the Patriots claimed Latu off waivers in August and why he's already looking like a liability on offense. The third tight end option is supposed to be a pass-catcher first, a run-game contributor second. Latu is barely holding up his end of either bargain right now.
Here's the real red flag: of the nine snaps Latu played yesterday, eight were runs. That's not coincidence. That's scheme design trying to hide a weakness. When your tight end becomes a predictable run indicator—when defenses can read what's coming based on personnel groupings alone—your play-calling loses teeth. The Patriots can't afford that kind of transparency with Drake Maye still finding his footing.
Latu's physical tools are there. The problem is execution and consistency. One blown block doesn't sink a season, but it does surface a larger problem: the Patriots might not have enough proven blocking at tight end after losing depth. Hunter Henry is solid, but after that, the margin for error shrinks fast. When Latu is on the field, the offense needs to work around him, not through him.
Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf are going to have to make a decision here. Either Latu tightens up his footwork and angles fast, or the Patriots find another option. Because right now, Henderson is running into a visible problem every time Latu checks in, and that's a luxury this offense can't keep absorbing.