The New England Patriots may have seen running back Damien Harris jump in and out of action with injuries, but they haven’t seemed to have missed a step. That’s due largely to the work of rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who has filled in for both Harris and James White, who suffered a season-ending injury, this season.
The Patriots drafted Stevenson in the fourth round in 2021, and he fumbled in his first appearance in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. It was a turbulent start for the youngster — and running backs coach Ivan Fears intimated there were other issues going on behind the scene.
But Bill Belichick had nice things to say about Stevenson on Thursday.
“I’ve been impressed by Rhamondre’s growth,” Belichick said during a press conference. “He’s very coachable. When you ask him to do something, he really tries hard to do it the way that you want him to do it. He’s improved greatly in every area of the game. He’s a player that has gained a lot of trust and confidence from his teammates, certainly from the coaching staff, really in every area.”
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Stevenson played a big role in the Patriots’ Week 13 win over the Buffalo Bills, with New England throwing the ball just three times. Stevenson was a part of the two-pronged rushing attack with Harris. The rookie had 24 carries for 78 yards, a stat line that might seem unflattering if it weren’t in a game where Buffalo knew the Patriots intended to run the ball every play.
“I think anybody on the team would tell you that he’s improved tremendously from where he was, let’s call it in July, to where he is now,” Belichick said. “We see it on defense, we see it on offense. He’s just one of those players that’s just gotten a lot better and he’s pretty good to start with, but he just got a lot better in terms of adjusting his skills and his game to the team that he’s on and what we’ve asked him to do.”
