Patriots coach Jerod Mayo considered benching running back Rhamondre Stevenson for Antonio Gibson, after four fumbles from Stevenson in four games. And now Mayo has made his decision.
Stevenson won’t start on Sunday against the Dolphins.
“I had a conversation with Rhamondre and quite frankly this week he won’t be starting,” Mayo told Scott Zolak on the latest episode of Patriots All Access. “And I’ll just be very up front and, you know, very transparent. But he will play. And he understands that, you know, he has to protect the football going forward. And it’s a mentality at this point. It’s an awareness at this point. It’s really not much more to do about, you know, technique or anything like that. It’s just knowing, you know, you’re a target on a week-after-week basis as soon as you show that you’re gonna put the ball on the ground.”
Stevenson has gained 267 rushing yards on 65 carries, with two touchdowns. He’s still part of the team’s plans; they gave him a four-year extension in June.
The current goal seems to be to give him a step back and to show that there are consequences to not protecting the ball. While not every fumble can be prevented, there are ways to ensure the ball is protected against attack by defenders.
As Mayo notes, the attacks become even more pointed when the player has developed a habit of putting the ball on the ground.
Gibson has 29 carries for 155 yards in 2024. He has added seven catches for 82 yards.
Sunday’s game is a critical one for the Patriots. Both Miami and New England are 1-3, and the Dolphins are currently vulnerable.
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