Raiders Opponent Offensive Star: Rhamondre Stevenson
When the Las Vegas Raiders host the New England Patriots on Sunday, they will face an offense struggling to move the ball and put up points.
The Patriots have the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL, ranking 25th in the league in total yards per game and 26th in rushing yards per game.
Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien was brought back to fix some offensive issues plaguing the Patriots, specifically quarterback Mac Jones. The Patriots hoped O’Brien could implement a system to make things easier for Jones, but that has not yet been the case.
Since Jones is not performing well, the Patriots might lean on their running game to get the offense going. That starts with star running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who has not put up big numbers so far this season, with 68 carries for 188 yards and one touchdown. His 2.8 yards per carry ranks 46th in the NFL.
The Patriots need to find ways to get Stevenson going, as he has shown he can be an effective lead-back in the NFL. In 2022, he had 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns, plus 69 receptions for 421 yards and a touchdown.
Stevenson, a Las Vegas native, was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. In his rookie season, he rushed for more than 600 yards and five touchdowns on 133 carries as the backup to Damien Harris. He took over as the lead-back when Harris was out due to an injury.
In last year’s game against the Raiders, Stevenson had 19 carries for a season-high 172 yards and a touchdown. He was gashing the Silver and Black on the ground, and the Raiders will have to prevent that from happening again.
Stevenson’s struggles can be accredited to poor offensive line play and a change in offensive systems, but he is not playing to the level he expected this season. He is talented and the season is still young, so there is a chance he can find a rhythm and return to form. The Raiders are hoping it does not come against them this Sunday.
The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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