Though Bill Belichick has said many times that he wants to look forward, his second-year running back in Rhamondre Stevenson had a breakout season in 2022.
In his first shot as New England’s de facto number-one option in the backfield, Stevenson ran for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns on 210 touches, averaged five yards per rush (good for 10th in the NFL), and proved he could carry the load in a room that constantly dealt with injury.
But can he have the same type of production in 2023? It’ll be close, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Stevenson’s over/under for rushing yards is set at just over 1,000. Here’s a look:
Rhamondre Stevenson Rushing Yards 2023-2024
Over 1000.5 yards -108
Under 1000.5 yards -118
New England has made some changes to the running back room this offseason in order to hopefully better complement Stevenson’s third NFL campaign. They signed James Robinson to a two-year contract worth up to $8 million, and let Damien Harris walk to the division rival Bills on a one-year deal.
Robinson started his career with Jacksonville before being traded to the Jets at last season’s deadline. He rushed for a career-high 1,070 yards during his rookie season in 2020 and has proven to be a quality backfield option, especially as an undrafted free agent.
A third-round pick for the Patriots in 2019, Harris was solid for New England through his three seasons in Foxboro, but he and Stevenson have a similar skillset and it’s clear they want to turn to the latter as their lead back.
Keeping in mind that a “running back by committee” is the new way to succeed in the NFL, New England should look to center their offense around Stevenson in 2023 as much as possible. Not only did he break out as a runner last season, but he also caught 69 passes for 421 yards and developed into a quality security blanket for quarterback Mac Jones. And he did so with Matt Patricia as his offensive coordinator.
Stevenson now has Bill O’Brien calling the shots, a coordinator who loves having a shiny toy to work with in the backfield. Look at former Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs as an example. He ran for 1,672 yards and caught 80 passes for 914 yards in two seasons under Bill O’Brien in Tuscaloosa.
It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but using Stevenson as the chess piece of your offense like Alabama did with Gibbs could bode well for a Patriots offense that desperately needs a spark. Compliment him with Robinson and second-year back Pierre Strong Jr., and you’ve got yourself an answer in the backfield for Mac Jones’ critical third season.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!
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