Patriots Rhamondre Stevenson Misses Practice; Status vs. Eagles?
When the New England Patriots took the practice field for one of the final times this week before welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles to Foxboro for the season opener, they did so without starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The 25-year-old breakout player for the Patriots last season was an unexpected absence for Friday's absence, causing many fans to worry that he'd miss Sunday's game.
Yet, a report from Mass Live's Karen Guregian gave fans the much-needed news that Stevenson is still expected to play on Sunday despite missing practice on Friday due to a reported "stomach bug."
"Per source, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is dealing with a stomach bug, and should be ok to play Sunday," Guregian wrote in a tweet on Friday afternoon.
The report of a stomach bug is a potential sigh of relief for fans who worried that something more serious happened to Stevenson that'd cause the Patriots to be without their top back against one of the NFL's best defenses from last season.
The Eagles' defense led the league in sacks last season with 70 total while boasting a stout run defense that ranked 16th in rushing yards allowed per game. Philadelphia's front seven will be a big early season test for a Patriots' offense line that has been banged up throughout training camp, causing it to be a makeshift unit in the preseason as New England dealt with a rotating five front.
Combine the Eagles' front seven with a secondary that helped them be one of the best against the pass, as they ranked seventh in passing yards allowed per game last season and allowed the fewest yards per completion at 5.5 yards in the league. You can see why having Stevenson could be key to a Patriots upset.
The former Oklahoma Sooner rushed for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns on 210 carries last season, and now, without Damien Harris splitting reps with him, he is looking set to have another big year.
After missing practice with the illness, the Patriots listed him on the injury report as "questionable" ahead of the 4:25 p.m. (EST) game versus the Eagles on Sunday.
