The New England Patriots, 1-3 after the first month of football, are a tough watch this season due to their intense offensive struggles. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has done his best but the team's offensive line and wide receiving groups are so barren of talent the offense struggles to function at even a league-average level. One player who was expected to shine despite all that was running back Rhamondre Stevenson, a talented dual-threat two years removed from a 1,000-yard season on the ground.
Unfortunately for New England, Stevenson came into 2024 with a case of the butterfingers. The running back has fumbled four times in the opening four games of the season, matching his previous single-season career high. On Wednesday, head coach Jerod Mayo was asked if the team would consider benching Stevenson in light of his ball security issues and surprisingly he said yes.
"That's definitely under consideration," Mayo said to reporters. "We can't preach ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time."
It's a bit of a shock to hear Mayo say that out loud because Stevenson is the most talented player on the Patriots' offense. Which is not saying much for the league's worst offense. But he is the only guy on the roster New England can rely on to consistently produce on a down-to-down basis while doubling as a big play threat. Stevenson put up over 200 yards of offense by himself in the first two games of the year, especially valuable for a Patriots team that cannot regularly pass the ball.
However, Stevenson's last two games have been brutal and that makes the fumbling issue all the more glaring. He managed only 23 yards against the fierce New York Jets front in Week 3 before recording 62 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in a blowout loss Sunday. Maybe there's more wiggle room for the running back if he is putting up big numbers despite the turnover issues, but averaging less than four yards per carry and one fumble per game isn't going to give his coaches confidence.
Stevenson would still be involved even if he was benched; even when he was playing well the Patriots liked having him in a rotation with backup Antonio Gibson. But fewer snaps for Stevenson is a subpar development for the most offense-starved team in the league no matter how they get there.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerod Mayo Says Patriots Could Bench Rhamondre Stevenson Due to Fumbling Issues.
