New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots have been without Rhamondre Stevenson for the least three games, but the veteran running back is expected to return against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
“(Patriots) RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who has not played since late October because of a toe injury, is expected to go Sunday, source said,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote on X on Saturday night.
Stevenson’s absence has paved the way for rookie second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson to shine. Henderson has started the last three games, scoring five total touchdowns and recording over 300 total yards. However, with Stevenson returning, his workload figures to decrease.
Before Stevenson’s injury, Henderson was struggling to get on the field. However, now that he has shown what he can do, the split between the two backs could be more even. It will be worth monitoring how Mike Vrabel dispatches his backfield now that his Henderson has also established himself.
Before Stevenson’s injury, the most snaps Henderson played in a game were 34. In the three games directly preceding Stevenson’s injury, Henderson had played a total of 42 offensive snaps, compared to Stevenson’s 145 offensive snaps.
Who gets the start is yet to be announced, but Stevenson had started all eight games before his injury. According to Vrabel, Stevenson looked good in the team’s recent practices and may not have many limitations.
“There wasn’t many restrictions,” Vrabel said on Friday, per Rapoport. “He responded well to the practice.”
The Bengals have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL. Stevenson and Henderson could both be in line for great outings despite potentially splitting carries more evenly than in the past.
