Rhamondre Stevenson is showing he’s in shape to handle increased workload
Stevenson has played well with Damien Harris out. Now, it appears the Patriots will get their 1-2 punch at RB back soon.
With Damien Harris out with a hamstring injury, Rhamondre Stevenson has rushed for 44 of the Patriots’ 64 rushing attempts over the last two weeks.
There’s been a few sweeps from Tyquan Thornton, some scrambles from Bailey Zappe, and a touch or two here and there for rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. But, for the most part, the Patriots have been leaning on Stevenson to shoulder an increased workload.
Heading into Week 7, he’s 156 yards away from matching the number of rushing yards he had in 12 games last year.
“I feel like I’m in pretty good shape right now,” Stevenson said. “It was a task for sure, just the workload was pretty different from the first couple weeks. But, I feel like I handled it pretty well and my o-line had my back, everybody on the offense had my back so it made it easy for me.”
Listed at 6 feet and 230 pounds, Stevenson said back in July that he lost weight and felt better overall heading into training camp. Stevenson was listed at 246 pounds on the Patriots’ official roster last year.
Last season, he didn’t have a single rush longer than 21 yards. This year, he’s got multiple, including a 31-yard touchdown in last week’s win over Cleveland, and a career-long 49-yard run against the Lions.
“If this happened last year, I don’t think I would have been ready,” Stevenson. “But I came in and attacked this offseason pretty crucially and it’s come in handy.”
Based on this week’s injury reports, there’s a chance the Patriots’ offense could look quite different this week.
Harris was listed as a full participant at practice on Thursday. Quarterback Mac Jones is reportedly ready to play after missing three games with a high ankle sprain, though the Patriots have not said whether he will be the starter or not Monday night.
Either way, a Stevenson that is in better shape makes the Patriots’ offense better. New England is 2-0 this season in games where he’s had 19 touches or more.
And, with the Patriots facing one of the worst run defenses in the NFL this week, New England could use another big game on the ground.
“I’d definitely say it gives you a burst of energy,” Meyers said of the power Stevenson runs with. “For me though, I kind of watch it as like a fan when I’m out there sometimes.
“Just watching guys making great plays like [DeVante Parker making a catch], Rhamondre running, [Damien Harris] running. I really enjoy watching the guys make plays because you see why they’re here and what they went through to get here and their stories. It puts a little smile on your face.”
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