Patriots Get Terrific News on Backfield Before Eagles Game

As the New England Patriots prepared to play the Philadelphia Eagles in their season opener this week, it seemed like they might have to face the defending NFC champs without one of their top offensive players.

Fortunately for the Pats, it doesn’t seem like that will be the case as top running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to play on Sunday.

Rhamondre Stevenson News

Stevenson is listed as questionable for Week 1 with an illness, which caused him to miss Friday’s practice. He returned to team meetings on Saturday, however, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, he’s expected to suit up today.

That’s a huge sigh of relief for the Patriots, who need all hands on deck if they want to upset the Eagles today. Stevenson was New England’s leading rusher last year and is set to handle RB1 duties this season after rushing for 1,040 yards and 5 touchdowns on 210 carries in 2022.

With new free-agent signing Ezekiel Elliott backing him up, the Pats will have a full backfield on Sunday. Their offense is expected to lean heavily on Stevenson and Elliott this year, especially in this matchup as New England looks to control the clock and keep the ball away from Jalen Hurts.

If the Patriots want to beat the Eagles, they’ll likely need a big game from Stevenson to do so. If he seems at all limited by his illness, however, look for new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to rely more heavily on Zeke in this one.

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