Rhamondre Stevenson isn't a great running back. He's not an All-Pro-caliber player. He's not going to be immortalized in Canton. He's not flashy and doesn't wow anyone when he's on the field. And, to be honest, he's not even untouchable as the New England Patriots' lead back. He hasn't been for a while, if ever. He's just a fine running back.
But there's a reason he is still leading the way in his sixth season in New England (for context: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, LeGarrette Blount, Damien Harris, and Stevan Ridley all had four seasons in New England; Corey Dillon, Curtis Martin, and Sony Michel all had three). It's because he is dependable (his fumbling has mostly been under control these last two seasons).
The Patriots know exactly what they're getting out of Stevenson. He will never break away for a 70-something-yard touchdown, but he can consistently get three to five yards on every attempt. You can trust that he'll catch every pass thrown to him out of the backfield and pick up a few yards. He runs hard every play. He has a solid mix of power and agility that makes him intriguing in New England's system. And (maybe one of his most important skills), he can pass-block.
Can the Patriots do better than Stevenson? Sure. But they haven't yet. The Las Vegas native is going to be their lead back until either a) someone takes the job from him (I wouldn't count on TreVeyon Henderson doing it) or b) his body starts shutting down (he is 28 years old, which is probably 48 in football years). As it stands, though, it doesn't look like either of those is happening soon.
Rhamondre Stevenson was clutch in the Patriots' win vs. the Dolphins
This season hasn't particularly been a great one for Stevenson (he doesn't even have 400 rushing yards roughly halfway through the season), but he just showed exactly why the Patriots like him so much.
During New England's Week 8 win against the Miami Dolphins, the Las Vegas native rushed for 82 yards on 19 attempts (4.3 yards/per carry; his third-most efficient running game this season) while securing all three of his passing targets for eight yards.
Beyond the stats, though, Stevenson made some clutch plays. He caught a four-yard reception on 3rd and 3 during New England's second drive of the third quarter (on a low pass by Drake Maye, by the way), which culminated in a 43-yard touchdown grab by Kyle Williams two plays later. He also recovered Miami's onside kick just before the two-minute warning and picked up a first down on 3rd and 5 during the last drive of the game to secure the win for the Patriots.
Stevenson wasn't necessarily the Patriots' best or most important player against the Dolphins, but they don't win that game without him. He continues to make his presence felt in New England, and barring some crazy circumstances, Stevenson is going to lead its backfield for a while.
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