Patriots Country

Patriots Running Game still has Options despite Damien Harris Being Sidelined for Saturday

New England will look to a promising rookie, a valued veteran and more to help mitigate the loss of Damien Harris to a hamstring injury

Mike D'Abate

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As the New England Patriots make their way to Indianapolis, Indiana for their Saturday night showdown with the Colts, it is now known that they will be without the services of their leading rusher.

The Patriots officially ruled out running back Damien Harris on Friday afternoon. The 24-year-old had been limited in practice all week with a hamstring injury. Harris has left the Patriots’ 14-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Despite his limited action in Week Thirteen, Harris was a key component in the success of the Pats running game. The Alabama product rushed for 111 yards on just 10 carries and an impressive 64-yard touchdown run, showcasing his ability to run both for power and finesse.

On Monday, Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears provided a bit of additional insight on Harris’ status, indicating that the Pats’ feature back was making every effort to return to the field as soon as possible. "If there is any way to find a way to get on the field and play, that's what he is going to do,” Fears said. “He's working hard. He's been here all weekend, taking full advantage of the bye week to get himself as much as possible ready for practice and we're going to give him as much time as we can to see if he can make it. All I know is that boy is working hard. I saw him here on Saturday. I saw him here on Friday."

Unfortunately, Harris will be unable to suit up against an Indianapolis team that is determined to limit New England’s ability to run the football. Earlier this week, Colts’ linebacker Bobby Okereke told reporters that their defense will attempt to make the Patriots “one-dimensional and see what [Mac Jones] can do.” As such, Okereke’s comments seem to indicate that the Colts are content to proceed with a strategy of stopping the run and forcing Jones to win by utilizing the passing game. Despite the bravado brimming from Indy with regard to this task, it should be noted that the Colts currently rank 16th in the league by allowing an average of 111.8 yards per game and 25th with 4.5 yards per carry.

Still, the Pats chose to opt on the side of caution with Harris, as they expect the Alabama product to be a potent weapon for the Patriots’ running game heading into the final season stretch. While deploying a potent running attack will be a much tougher task without their feature rusher, there are some Patriots that may allow their run game to be a prominent factor in their game plan for Saturday.

Rhamondre Stevenson

As a result of Harris’ deactivation, Stevenson will undoubtedly receive the majority of carries on Saturday. In fact, the former Oklahoma Sooner could be thrust into the Saturday night spotlight. Through nine games, to date, Stevenson has rushed for 429 yards on 100 carries with three touchdowns. Listed at 6’0” 230-pounds, he is a physical, powerful runner; yet he is athletic enough to make tacklers miss in short yardage in situational runs. The 23-year-old nicely blends power and athleticism into his running style. Stevenson also possesses the necessary intangibles to be an effective option in receiving out of the backfield, compiling 117 receiving yards, on 12 receptions. Stevenson’s physical running style could be a productive offensive weapon on Thursday. Whether it be power sidestepping his way into the end zone, or showcasing his speed by breaking for a 91-year touchdown run, he clearly has the skill to be a big part of the Patriots strategy on the ground. Therefore, his physical running style could be a productive offensive weapon on Saturday.

Brandon Bolden

After losing James White for the season with a hip injury, running back Brandon Bolden has performed quite well in the third-down role. Through thirteen games, the 31-year-old compiled 169 rushing yards on 30 carries. He has also been a veritable force in receiving out of the backfield, with 32 catches for 303 yards and one touchdown. With Harris out, and J.J. Taylor expected to remain on COVID-19/Reserve, Bolden’s workload is likely to significantly increase. He may see some early down action, as the Colts defense is predicated on forcing turnovers. The savvy veteran is solid when it comes to ball security. However, if Stevenson is deployed (as expected) in early down packages, the Pats may once again look to Bolden on third down again by isolating him on the Colts’ linebackers. Therefore, his experience and versatility will be heavily relied upon by Jones, both on the ground and as a situational pass catcher.

Jonnu Smith

Tight end Jonnu Smith has been known to be effective out of the backfield, particularly on jet sweeps. Through twelve games played in 2021, Smith has compiled 271 yards receiving on 26 targets with one touchdown. He has also added six carries for 28 yards as a ball carrier. Surprisingly, the 26-year-old has been used more prevalently in run protection schemes in 2021. Although Smith is a more than capable blocker, this may be a game in which his skillset is better utilized as an offensive scoring weapon.

Devine Ozigbo

While he is not expected to be a major factor in Saturday's matchup, practice squad running back Devine Ozigbo may see his first regular-season action for New England as a potential standard elevation. After being waived by the Jaguars at the conclusion of 2021 training camp, Ozigbo alternated second-tours-of-duty with both the Saints and Jaguars. Throughout his near three-season tenure in the NFL, he compiled 25 yards on 11 carries, as well as 13 receptions for 72 yards over 20 career games..

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the shutdown of team facilities, Ozigbo was among those trying to make the best out of a tough situation amidst a challenging 2020 offseason. The running back found a means of satisfying his work ethic, while demonstrating his creativity in the process:

The Patriots will return to action on Saturday, December 18 at 8:20pm for their Week Fifteen matchup against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium In Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Mike D'Abate
MIKE D'ABATE

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