New England Patriots' Plan vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Without Rhamondre Stevenson?

The New England Patriots still have viable options in their running game, despite the absence of injured starter Rhamondre Stevenson.

As the New England Patriots (2-10) prepare for their Week 14 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5), they do so without the services of lead running back Rhamondre Stevenson. 

New England’s third-year rusher suffered a high-ankle sprain while attempting to secure a first down in the first quarter of their Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. A subsequent MRI confirmed the injury, which will require him to miss at least “a few weeks” — starting with Thursday night’s matchup in the Steel City. 

Stevenson is New England's leading rusher this season with 619 yards and four touchdowns, while averaging four yards per attempt. He has also been a notable contributor in the passing game, catching 38 passes for 238 yards. Regardless of the amount of time Stevenson spends away from the field, the Pats now face the daunting task of replacing his production in an offense which has been massively unproductive outside of their 2021 fourth-round pick.

Conversely, Pittsburgh’s defense ranks No. 22 in the NFL in containing the run, allowing 121 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. In theory, the Pats should still attempt to establish their ground game early and often, with Bailey Zappe making his second straight start at quarterback. With Stevenson on the shelf, the following backs may get their chance to impact Thursday night’s matchup in Pittsburgh. 

Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott will take the spot as the Pats feature back against the Steelers, and rightfully so. Through 12 games this season, the former All Pro has averaged 3.8 yards on his 112 carries, hauled in 24 of 31 targets for 154 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. In addition to his rushing and ball security, Elliott has proven himself to be a more-than-competent pass catcher and blocker on blitz pick-ups. While thought to be a situational runner upon his acquisition, he has proven himself capable of success on early downs. Additionally, he also possesses the ability to be a game changer for New England as a red zone / goal-line option. Last season, he led the NFL in red zone rushing attempts with 59. 31 of those 59 came inside the ten-yard line, and 12 of them came inside the five-yard line. Accordingly, Elliott will be an integral part of the Patriots in all areas of the field. 

New England Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Ty Montgomery

At various points throughout the season, Montgomery appeared to be settling into a notable role on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver. He was also considered the logical choice as their third Z-receiver option [off the line of scrimmage] on select packages. Unfortunately, numerous injuries have either reduced his workload, or kept him out of action entirely for much of the season. Still, Montgomery has the skill set to play a prominent role in the Pats offense, as well as special teams when healthy. Should he be healthy enough to handle the primary backup duties, Montgomery may be the Pats' solution to their depth questions at running back.

Kevin Harris

Should New England decide to elevate Harris from the practice squad, he has shown an ability to contribute on early downs, as well as on goal-line stands. Despite spending the first five weeks of the 2022 season on the scout team, Harris still saw action in five regular-season games. The South Carolina product compiled 52 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown in his rookie campaign in 2022. Measuring in at 5-10, 221 pounds, Harris is the type of straightforward power runner that can provide some short-yardage production. The Pats rookie is a reliable back with the talent to quickly develop into a solid rotational option in the Patriots backfield.

Patriots Shutting Down Rhamondre Stevenson?

JaMycal Hasty

Despite having yet to be activated for game day since the Pats acquired his services during the bey week, Hasty may be in line to see the field for the first time as a Patriot. The 27-year-old appeared in all 17 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and rushed for 194 yards on 46 carries (4.2 YPC) to go along with 20 receptions for 126 yards receiving and three total touchdowns. He also added 97 kick return yards on special teams. Despite being signed to an extension by the Jags during the offseason, Hasty’s playing time began to diminish due to the emergency of both Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson — hence, his being waived by Jacksonville on Nov. 11. However, the talent is there for him to be a notable contributor to the Pats offense in Stevenson’s absence. 

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