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3 Patriots Who Will Break Out in Week 2

By Devon Platana

Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (51) speaks to the media at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (51) speaks to the media at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports /
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Week 1 didn’t go as planned as the New England Patriots came up short against the Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia Eagles, losing 25-20 at Gillette Stadium. There’s no time to dwell on the loss, though, as the Patriots must prepare for a Week 2 Sunday Night Football showdown with the rival Miami Dolphins.

As much as it hurts, the Dolphins looked impressive to open the season and the Patriots need all hands on deck to earn the victory. New England’s goal will be easier to achieve if certain players step up and have breakout performances.

Here’s a look at three Patriots who are poised to break out against Miami in Week 2.

3 Patriots Breakout Candidates Week 2

3. Rhamondre Stevenson

All eyes were on Rhamondre Stevenson as the Patriots’ No. 1 running back in Week 1. After all, the third-year rusher is coming off an impressive sophomore season that saw him rack up 1,461 scrimmage yards with 6 touchdowns on 279 touches despite only starting in seven of his 17 appearances.

Unfortunately, Stevenson didn’t look like the 2022 version of himself in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.

The Las Vegas, NV native only recorded 25 rushing yards on 12 carries, averaging 2.1 yards per carry after averaging 5.0 yards per attempt in 2022. Although he added 64 receiving yards on 6 catches and some of the blame can be placed on an illness, it’s clear that New England needs him to be better going forward.

The good news is that the upcoming matchup is a ripe opportunity for Stevenson to have a breakout performance after last week’s dud.

For starters, the Dolphins couldn’t defend the run if their life depended on it in Week 1. Miami surrendered a whopping 234 rushing yards on 40 carries to the Los Angeles Chargers, which saw running backs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley combine for 208 of those yards while scoring a touchdown apiece.

Stevenson has also found success against the Dolphins in the past, albeit in a small sample size. He’s faced the AFC East rival four times in his young career, averaging 4.9 rushing yards per carry on 21 attempts.

As long as offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien continues feeding him the ball, Stevenson will break out this week.

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