Rhamondre Stevenson can put the league on notice now

New England Patriots’ 1A running back Damien Harris is set to miss multiple weeks, but second year man Rhamondre Stevenson can take over for the team.  The Patriots have been a team that has cycled through a ton of running backs during this era.

They are usually able to have an elite running game, and they ask their backs to do it all.  The team has perfected the art of not investing too many resources into the positions all while still getting good production from them.  It’s a wonderful thing to see.

However, the team is set to endure a bit of a rough patch, as Damien Harris is set to miss a few weeks.  Harris suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter of the team’s week five game, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson to get the rest of the workload.

Against a poor Lions’ rush defense, Stevenson rushed for 161 yards, a career high, and one of the highest totals in the Bill Belichick era.  If that doesn’t instill confidence in Stevenson, I don’t know what will.  With Harris set to miss some time, Stevenson is going to be the majority of the carries.

He’s got the capabilities to get the work, and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.  His carries have also increased per game, starting with week one and continuing on, he had eight, nine, 12, 14, and 25 carries.  His 230 pound frame is able to take on defenders and break tackles.

He’s got 372 rushing yards through five games, which puts him on pace for over 1,200 yards on the season.  His 13 receptions this year in five games is already creeping towards his 14 reception total in 12 games in 2021 during his rookie season.

It’s clear that Rhamondre Stevenson has made notable leaps from year one to year two.  He’s perfectly capable of being an RB1 in this league and will get to showcase his talents as Harris rests his injured hamstring.

The Patriots can also be in a situation where Harris doesn’t need to be rushed back because of how good Rhamondre Stevenson could be playng.