The New England Patriots have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL at 7-2. As a result, they currently sit atop the AFC East. While quarterback Drake Maye (2,285 pass yards, 17 TDs) has been fantastic and playing at an MVP-caliber level, the run game has been a work in progress for the Patriots.
Rhamondre Stevenson, who had appeared in every game until missing the Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a toe injury, has only rushed for 279 yards and three TDs, and was even called out by head coach Mike Vrabel for his carelessness in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans.
According to ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss, Stevenson was one of three players, including wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) and linebacker Christian Elliss (hip), who were not scheduled to practice on Wednesday, per Vrabel. Having already missed one game and continuing to deal with the toe injury, it would have made sense for the Patriots to address the RB position before Tuesday's deadline, but instead, they chose to ignore it, which was a questionable decision given the struggles on the ground up to this point.
The Patriots Blew an Opportunity at the Trade Deadline
There were options for New England if it really wanted to address the issue, such as Titans RB Tony Pollard and Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford. According to Pro Football Focus, Pollard has an average 62.1 overall grade, but is 18th in rushing yards (480) and 31st in yards per carry (four). Considering Pollard is on a 1-8 Titans team with little to play for at this point, and averages nearly the same yards per carry as Stevenson, he would have been an ideal trade for the Patriots, especially since he topped 1,000 rushing yards each of the last three seasons and could have provided a spark to a lackluster run game in New England.
Ford only has 73 yards on 21 carries for Cleveland, mostly due to the emergence of rookie Quinshon Judkins, who has 486 yards and five TDs. Still, he is coming off a career-best 5.4 yards per carry last season, which is two yards better than Stevenson. The Browns are also just 2-6 and staring at another lost season, so that would have made for a reasonable trade as well.
While Stevenson has struggled to get much going, rookie TreVeyon Henderson has not done much better with just 283 yards and one TD, so there was certainly an opportunity for New England to get some additional help on the ground and make this offense more of a balanced attack. It is even more surprising when you consider the Patriots added some WR help instead, where its primary success has come from.
Heading into a Week 10 road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their seventh-best run defense (92.6), the Patriots could face a tall task if Stevenson is unable to go or the run game continues to struggle. As the second half of the regular season gets underway, it will become apparent if New England made a mistake or not by neglecting to trade for a RB at the deadline.