After much waiting, the New England Patriots have finally reached their bye week. They're currently tied for first place in the AFC with an 11-2 record, highlighting the terrific job head coach Mike Vrabel has done in his first year with the Patriots.
Following a 4-13 season last year, the Patriots have looked like a completely different team. One of the reasons is the bond created under head coach Vrabel, who replaced Jerod Mayo. New England's bench boss has instilled a new culture into the Pats, changing the trajectory of the franchise and putting them in a great spot to make noise this postseason.
Even though most of the Patriots have exceeded expectations, that hasn't been the case for everyone, including veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Rhamondre Stevenson Has Let the Patriots Down as Bye Week Arrives
It wasn't that long ago when Stevenson looked like a top running back for the Patriots. In the 2022 NFL season, Stevenson ran for 1,040 yards on 210 carries, averaging five yards a carry while scoring five touchdowns on the year. Stevenson added 421 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Looking at the 2023 season, Stevenson's production dipped, and he only played in 12 games. Things wouldn't improve for Stevenson in 2024, highlighted by his growing fumble concerns. He went from seven fumbles in his first three seasons to matching that number in 2024 alone. It's far from what fans wanted to see after the veteran runner had signed a four-year, $36 million extension before the season began.
For Stevenson, the 2025 season hasn't been any better. The Las Vegas, NV native is having his worst season yet, with 324 yards on 101 carries, with an average of 3.2 yards per run, averaging only 32.4 yards per game. His three rushing TDs give him 0.3 scores per outing compared to the rate of 0.47 from last season. He's also missed three games earlier in the year due to a foot injury. And as the season has progressed, Stevenson has seen his snaps reduced for rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who's made the most of his opportunities and run away with the RB1 job.
While this has been a season to forget for Stevenson, his fumble issues have reduced with only three on the year, and he's been decent in the pass game. Even with those improvements, given the play of this Patriots team, he sticks out as an obvious disappointment.
Stevenson does have time to turn it around, however, with his first chance in Week 15, when the Patriots host the Buffalo Bills. If he can play a key role in New England potentially defeating Buffalo for the second time this season, it might be good enough to shake the 'disappointment' label.