Getty The New England Patriots are waiting for RB Rhamondre Stevenson to hold onto the ball.
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erod Mayo knows Rhamondre Stevenson has a problem protecting the football, but the head coach of the New England Patriots is prepared to give his starting running back a fresh start. That’s despite Stevenson losing a fourth fumble in as many games this season during the 30-13 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.
Mayo was grilled about what’s going on with New England’s RB1 after Stevenson put the ball on the ground at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, September 29. The coach assured reporters, “There’s nobody out there more disappointed than Rhamondre [Stevenson] as far as his ball security issues are concerned…it is what it is, change the page and lets move forward,” per Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Jerod Mayo: “There’s nobody out there more disappointed than Rhamondre [Stevenson] as far as his ball security issues are concerned…it is what it is, change the page and lets move forward.”
That line about changing the page and moving forward suggests Stevenson won’t spend prolonged time on the bench. It’s a bold show of faith from Mayo during a difficult moment for the Patriots.
The team is enduring a three-game losing skid, and the coach probably feels he can’t afford to sideline one of the few genuine difference-makers on a pedestrian offense. It doesn’t help Stevenson’s primary backup has had his own issues with ball security.
Rhamondre Stevenson Undermining Patriots Model on Offense
Mayo was asked again about turnovers, specifically Stevenson’s giveaway, on “The Greg Hill Show” for WEEI 93.7 FM on Monday. His answer about the impact of the mistakes was revealing about the way the Patriots are currently operating on offense.
The main in charge thinks “as far as this team is concerned, our identity, we’ve got to be able to run the ball and we gotta be able to stop the run and play good special teams. That’s what we have with this team right now. We cannot, we cannot expect to go out there and win games if we’re going to turn the ball over.”
What Mayo has outlined is a pretty low bar for one unit of his football team. Just keep things steady and don’t do anything stupid is the message for the offense.
Stevenson can be a key part of the plan. Like when he rumbled for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 punishing carries during the 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
His performance on opening day almost seems like a mirage after all of the fumbles since. He’s not correcting the problem, despite assuring reporters after fumbling against the New York Jets in Week 3, “My mindset is to hold the ball… don’t sacrifice how I’m running but keep it on my mind to hold the ball,” per Mike Kadlick of CLNS Media.
Rhamondre Stevenson on his mindset after losing a fumble last week vs. the Jets:
“My mindset is to hold the ball… don’t sacrifice how I’m running but keep it on my mind to hold the ball.”
The Stevenson problem isn’t going to go away just by having him learn through repetition on the field. Mayo might need to make a tough choice and split more carries between other members of the backfield.
Jerod Mayo Has Options in the Running Game
It’s not as if the Pats don’t have alternatives on the depth chart. They include former Washington Commanders starter Antonio Gibson, the obvious next man up if Stevenson continues to falter.
Like Stevenson, Gibson has a 1,000-yard rushing season on his CV. He’s also a dynamic receiver able to make big plays after the catch.
Breaking free for 50 yards against the 49ers helped Gibson show his value in the passing game.
Gibson TAKES OFF 🚀
📺: FOX
Gibson can be a bigger factor in the ground attack, provided he’s over his own fumble issues. The 26-year-old has fumbled 12 times since entering the pros in 2020, according to Pro Football Reference, although he’s yet to lose the ball for the Patriots.
More carries for Gibson and fellow veteran JaMycal Hasty would ease the burden on Stevenson and add greater lateral speed to New England’s run game. A limited workload would also force Stevenson to concentrate more on making the most of his few carries by keeping the ball held tight.
The ongoing struggles experienced by starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett and a limited pass offense mean the Patriots can’t afford for their supposed strength to become a problem.
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Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Reacts to Rhamondre Stevenson’s Fumble Problem