New England Patriots - NESN.com
One of the biggest questions for the New England Patriots heading into Sunday’s game is how they will handle running back Rhamondre Stevenson’s workload.
Stevenson had a challenging game last week, fumbling twice in a 21-14 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, despite those setbacks, it doesn’t sound like he will see limited playing time this Sunday.
“If you’re asking me if Rhamondre is on some sort of discipline, the answer is no,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday when asked who will start at running back, via Alex Barth. “We need our best players to play in the game and do their jobs and take care of the football.”
Vrabel highlighted that despite Drake Maye’s fumble and interception last week, they supported him instead of benching him.
So, why would they treat Stevenson any differently?
“Maye had an interception and a fumble, we’re not going to play Josh (Joshua Dobbs) right now,” Vrabel added. “We have to fix those things, the people around them have to be better and I’m confident that we will.”
The Patriots don’t have enough talented running backs to help considerably lighten Stevenson’s workload. Backup running back Antonio Gibson isn’t an every-down back, while rookie TreVeyon Henderson has produced little this season, managing only 65 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Stevenson must shake off last week’s fumbles and step up to help New England secure a victory against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
