New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson caught flak for his performance in the club's 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 NFL opener. He didn't have the best outing, in fairness; yet context matters, and the criticism has gotten a bit out of hand.
Many poked at Stevenson's quickness, or lack thereof, and his vision was also a talking point. Again, the good old-fashioned eye test wasn't great, and one glance at the box score has everyone making assumptions.
He didn't fare anywhere near as badly as social media might suggest and did more with less, amazingly enough, which the numbers bear out.
It'd be easy to say Stevenson plodded his way to a high-output game, albeit inefficiently, and that he benefited heavily from a volume-driven bell-cow workload. That would be a massive disservice to what we saw from him, though.
Patriots wouldn't have had offense vs. Seahawks without Rhamondre Stevenson
Believe it or not, Stevenson was arguably the biggest bright spot on the Pats' scoring unit. He posted 95 scrimmage yards on 23 touches and an 85 percent snap share. His efforts accounted for more than a third of their total production on a night when star quarterback Drake Maye melted down and tossed three interceptions.
The Patriots' reworked offensive line exceeded the relatively low expectations many had heading into the defeat in Seattle, specifically in pass protection. Run-blocking remained an issue, however, and the reigning champions flexed their defensive might in the highly anticipated Super Bowl LX rematch.
Stevenson quite literally had to fight for every blade of grass, with 50 of his 51 rushing yards on 18 carries coming after contact.
Keep in mind that high-priced free-agent newcomer Romeo Doubs is on a milk carton following his frustrating, catchless New England debut. Veteran tight end Hunter Henry was checked for a concussion at the very beginning of the second half.
Star wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered an ankle injury a few plays later and never returned, which obviously didn't help matters either.
So, with Maye struggling and the pass-catchers leaving much to be desired and/or hurt, New England tried to ride its workhorse to victory. Stevenson's presence was felt in more ways than one, leading the team in receptions (five) and adding 44 yards through the air.
For comparison's sake, folks touted Seahawks first-round rookie tailback Jadarian Price's apparent burst in his first taste of regular-season action. He generated multiple explosive gains and recorded an elite 5.2 yards per tote, but what if we told you Stevenson actually reached a faster top speed?
Per Next Gen Stats, Stevenson's 18.96-mile-per-hour clip on an attempt topped Price's top mark of 18.57. Talk about a reality check for anyone who questioned the former's acceleration.
Rhamondre Stevenson should continue carrying the load when TreVeyon Henderson is healthy
Many want to see 2025 second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson take over the Patriots' backfield, and understandably so. He's an exciting athlete with tremendous playmaking juice and upside. His skill set pairs nicely with Stevenson's bruising style — in a complementary role.
Nothing Stevenson did (or didn't) against the Seahawks warrants any drastic depth chart changes. As highlighted above, the 28-year-old tried to help New England grind out a win in less-than-ideal circumstances. He should maintain his spot as the starter and primary option moving forward regardless of Henderson's status.
Henderson missed Week 1 with an ankle injury. He's been out since late August, and his outlook is still unclear. Nevertheless, a shortage of training camp reps makes it difficult to suddenly give him the lion's share of the opportunities over Stevenson.
Note: Advanced Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus' premium stats ($) unless specified otherwise.
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