Rhamondre Stevenson is the New England Patriots’ most dangerous offensive player, but he is in the midst of a disturbing trend.
He has a fumbling problem.
Stevenson dropped the ball on the ground in the Patriots’ first three games this season, including a lost fumble in Thursday night’s loss to the New York Jets.
This is a problem for the Patriots, as offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt repeats the old cliche that for a running back, “ball security means job security.”
“Now he’s become a target,” he said Friday. “Teams will see that and come for the football.”
Van Pelt says the team’s plan to address the problem includes drill work and an “intense focus” on good habits during games.
But more importantly, the Patriots OC knows the team’s star player will double his efforts.
“I know he’ll take care of it,” Van Pelt said. “I know he’s proud of it. So far we’ve done a really good job of not giving the ball away in this scenario. He’ll be better for it here, too.”
Stevenson is now in his fourth season and has always been pretty safe with the ball. In his first 41 NFL games, Stevenson has lost the ball a total of seven times – including just once in 2023.
After Thursday’s loss to New York, Stevenson was asked about his ball security issues and current problems, and the running back made it clear that the solution is simple.
“I have to keep the ball,” Stevenson said.
But did he have to make any special adjustments to better secure the ball?
“Nah, I just have to hold on to it,” he said.
Despite the fumble issues, Stevenson does not appear to have lost the coaching staff’s trust. Although Antonio Gibson remains a key part of the running back rotation, there are no signs that Stevenson is falling out of favor because of his fumble issues.
The Patriots will need Stevenson on the field if they want to turn around their ailing offense. A strong runner and effective pass catcher, Stevenson is by far the team’s most productive offensive player. In two games so far, he has rushed for 239 yards from the line of scrimmage. Gibson has the second most with 159 yards.
