Since their Week 14 bye week, running back Rhamondre Stevenson has quietly been one of the Patriots’ best players.
Quietly no more.
In New England’s regular season finale, Stevenson ran wild out of the gate. The back took the second carry of the game 56 yards down the right sideline setting up a day in which he totaled 131 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in addition to catching two passes for 22 yards and another touchdown to complete the hat-trick.
“It was a good performance, I believe,”
said Stevenson, who was named a game day captain before the game. “Ran the ball pretty efficiently, got downhill, scored a few touchdowns. My mom was in the stands, so I’m proud of it.”
As his 56-yard run set the ton, Stevenson was no match for the Dolphins’ defense throughout the day. He was charted with breaking three tackles and recording 104 yards after contact, while his double move as a pass catcher split out wide led to his 15-yard receiving touchdown.
His third and final touchdown on the day came from 35 yards out as he broke free up the middle, as Stevenson is now averaging nearly 10 yards per carry over the last month.
“I try to stay pretty level, no matter what’s going on, how good it could get, how bad it could get, I try to stay pretty level,” Stevenson said. “Really, I was just day-by-day back then when it wasn’t really going my way, just putting my best foot forward, not really trying to get discouraged. My teammates and coaches made it a little easier on me; they had my back and things like that, so I would say I just try to stay relentless. I try to keep the same headspace no matter if it’s going good or going bad.”
After missing three games earlier this season with a toe injury, Stevenson returned for two games prior to the bye week and did not look like his usual self averaging just over 2.0 yards per carry.
The flip then switched following the bye week to create a powerful one-two punch with rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
“We kind of felt like we got into a little flow with him, TreVeyon and Rhamondre, and kind of figuring out where that balance was, and I think that they did a great job. We need them both,” Vrabel said.
Sunday’s performance where the team totaled 243 rushing yards (7.1 average) was the latest example of the run game trending upwards in recent weeks. Despite having a top MVP candidate in Drake Maye under center, the Patriots will need both as the calendar flips to the postseason.
“You’d better be able to do that in the tournament,” Mike Vrabel said. “And you’d better be able to take care of the football. You’d better be able to create some turnovers, and you have to have efficient quarterback play. That’s no secret.”
