The New England Patriots have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL through seven weeks, currently riding a four-game winning streak and sitting atop the AFC East at 5-2 in Mike Vrabel's first season as the head coach. While quarterback Drake Maye was nearly perfect, completing 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 222 yards and two TDs, another talking point coming out of Sunday's 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans was running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Stevenson carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a TD in the game. Although the Patriots have remained loyal to the RB despite his tendency to fumble, Vrabel was not too pleased with one key play from Stevenson in Sunday's game. Stevenson capped a 12-play, 88-yard drive to open the third quarter with a touchdown to extend New England's lead to 24-13, but it was his actions before the TD that left his coach frustrated.
"We can't do this. We can't sit there and be careless with the football... We're not gonna see it anymore," Vrabel said, per Carlos A. Lopez of Sleeper HQ. "We're not gonna start (celebrating before crossing the goal line)." Celebrating prematurely before crossing the end zone is nothing new and can prove costly in a close game if it ends up in a fumble. Fortunately for Stevenson, that did not happen, and New England was able to recover a fumble for a TD on the next play to extend the lead even more.
Vrabel Puts Stevenson on Notice Ahead of Week 8 Meeting with Browns
Stevenson might lead the team in rush yards (245) and TDs (three), but he ranks in the bottom half of the league in most categories. According to Pro Football Focus, Stevenson's 57.6 overall grade is 42nd out of 47 qualified RBs, while the 245 rushing yards are only 33rd. The three TDs are 15th, but his average of 3.6 yards per carry is not encouraging, especially when you consider that Maye has nearly as many rush yards (200) on just 44 carries, compared to Stevenson's 69, and his primary focus is not even on running the ball.
Despite the lack of a reliable running game, the Patriots have found ways to win with elite passing from Maye and a stout defense that allows the fifth-fewest points per game (19). New England is already a force to be reckoned with, but if it can bolster its pass rush with one key trade acquisition within the division, it could be even more dangerous.
Even with success in the passing attack and on defense, the run game is tied for 21st in yards per game (103.4), so it may not be the best decision for Stevenson to celebrate prematurely. Judging by his comments, it seems Vrabel will make that clear moving forward.