Getty Damien Harris #37 of the New England Patriots
While the New England Patriots picked up a dominant win in Week 5, they will be without one of the driving forces of their offense.
Damien Harris is slated to miss multiple games due to the hamstring injury he suffered in the win according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“Damien Harris is likely to miss multiple games because of the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s win over the #Lions, per source,” Pelissero tweeted. “Still getting tests, but the expectation is he’ll be out for a bit.”
The running back has had a poor start to the 2022 season. While he has had some impressive performances, Harris has only tallied 257 rushing yards for 3 touchdowns.
This is an important season for the running back as he is in the final year of his contract. This setback could cost the running back whether he signs with New England or a different team.
Who Will Replace Harris?
With Harris likely to miss multiple games, this means that Rhamondre Stevenson will see a heavy bulk of carries.
Stevenson has had a great start to the season. While he has only reached the end zone once, he has racked up 372 yards on the ground. This includes an amazing game against the Lions where he ran for 161 yards.
The running back has a chance to stake his claim for the starting job moving forward. With Harris becoming a free agent at the end of the season, New England may opt to go with the cheaper option in Stevenson.
Bill Belichick had plenty of praise for Stevenson after the win.
“You have to give him a ton of credit,” he said. “With Damien out, we only carried two backs for the game, and he put it all on his shoulders and finished with a couple of first downs there at the end of the game in the four-minute offense. Yeah, he is always good. He does a great job with the ball in his hands. He is a strong runner, but he can make people miss. He is a really good football player. Really a good football player. So glad we have him.”
With Harris out, some rookies will have a better chance of getting some playing time. Pierre Strong is the only other running back on the active roster currently so fans should expect to see more of him. Kevin Harris is also on the practice squad and could be elevated for the upcoming games.
New England could also elevate J.J. Taylor who has some NFL experience. The running back has appeared in 11 games and has tallied 147 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Where do the Patriots Stand in the NFL?
After New England’s shutout victory in Week 5, the Patriots have moved up in Bleacher Report’s power rankings. Entering Week 6, the Pats moved up from 24th to 20th.
“It was an impressive all-around effort that was badly needed to keep New England from coming off the rails,” Bleacher Report said about the win. “Now, with two consecutive matchups against teams with losing records, the Patriots have a chance to build momentum.”