Patriots Starter Shockingly Gets Benched Right Before Week 5

The New England Patriots have some things they need to fix as they look to snap their three-game skid. On Sunday, they'll host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

Throughout the week, reports emerged that the locker room was in disarray after the first month of the season. Despite those leaks, multiple players came out to support Jerod Mayo.

They are focused on beating the Dolphins but Mayo decided it was time to bench a starter on offense.

Patriots News: Rhamondre Stevenson Will Not Be Starting This Week

Mayo was a guest on Patriots All Access, and he revealed that running back Rhamondre Stevenson won't be starting on Sunday. Antonio Gibson is likely up next to start.

Stevenson has fumbled in each of the first four games of the season and that won't go over well with the coaching staff.

Mayo said, " I had a conversation with Rhamondre and he won’t be starting … I’ll be upfront and transparent. But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward."

From the outside looking in, you can see why the Pats decided to put Stevenson on the bench. The Oklahoma product is even being tough on himself. New England's offense has struggled immensely, averaging 13 points per game. They can't afford to have turnovers consistently.

As Mayo said, Stevenson will still play but Gibson should be the lead workhorse. This season, he's compiled 26 rushes for 155 yards with 5.3 yards per carry.

We'll see if that has an impact in Week 5. New England is currently a 1.5-point underdog according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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