Rhamondre Stevenson In 2022 Form For New England Patriots’ Ground Game

In an offense struggling to find its direction, Rhamondre Stevenson has found his.

Over the course of November, behind an offensive line subject to varying combinations, the New England Patriots running back eclipsed the century mark in scrimmage yards for three games in a row. He did so while accounting for two of the team’s four touchdowns.

The latest arrived in last Sunday’s 10-7 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, where Stevenson turned 21 carries into 98 yards and added a handful of catches out of the backfield.

Long gains of 15, 13 and another 13 were among the touches alongside veteran backfield complement Ezekiel Elliott.

“I think O-line, me, Zeke, we’re doing job of just getting that going,” Stevenson told reporters during his Monday video conference. “They’re doing a good job on their double-team blocks and that’s really making a difference up front.”

As New England fell in East Rutherford, Pro Football Focus charted Stevenson for 3.71 yards after contact per rushing attempt. There were a handful of missed tackles forced behind a front that included an injured Trent Brown rotating with Conor McDermott at left tackle. Next to left guard Cole Strange stood captain David Andrews and center, rookie Sidy Sow at right guard and the road-grading Mike Onwenu again flexed out at right tackle.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s wide,” Stevenson said of Onwenu, who played 99.43% of the offensive snaps at right guard last year. “Mike is one of our wide guys we have up here. He’s just a big body and he works super hard. I’m very confident in him as well as my other O-linemen.”

It has been an acclimation. Running behind different blockers takes different timing. It takes a balance of patience and decisiveness.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Stevenson has spent an average of 2.52 seconds behind the line of scrimmage on his rushing attempts this season. That puts him in a tie for the second-quickest rate around the league among running backs behind only Latavius Murray of the Buffalo Bills.

The product of Cerritos College and the University of Oklahoma has faced at least eight defenders in the box on 17.01% of his carries.

“I kind of think that’s my job, in a sense. Just knowing my O-linemen, how they move, how they go up to the second level and things like that,” said Stevenson. “I think if I know one lineman gets off double-team blocks a little slower, it’s my job to know that and set the blocks up accordingly.”

Stevenson set up and broke off the longest run of his NFL career as the calendar turned from October. From shotgun and through a paved A-gap opening, it stretched 64 yards versus the Washington Commanders. Prior to that matchup, he had averaged 38.3 yards on the ground per matchup this season.

The starting back is back to 2022 form now.

Stevenson tied for New England’s lead with six touchdowns as an NFL sophomore. He led the team in carries, catches and scrimmage yards. Under head coach Bill Belichick, only Corey Dillon in 2004, Wes Welker in 2011 and Randy Moss in 2007 finished campaigns with more yards of offense than his 1,461.

The former No. 120 overall pick moves into December with 818. For an organization sitting at 2-9 and at the bottom of the AFC, he is part of what has trended upward.

“It’s tough. It’s tough on everybody,” added Stevenson. “The coaches, the players, the fans, everybody. Just disappointing, but I’m never going to stop. I’ve never been a quitter in anything that I’ve done. I hope the same for my teammates. We got a good group of guys, and I think they’re going to keep their head up and stay on the gas.”