Patriots Coach Believes Rhamondre Stevenson In For Big Year

When Rhamondre Stevenson is on the field, he can make things happen with the ball in his hands for the New England Patriots.

He likely enters the 2024 campaign as the top playmaker, or at least the most proven, in a rebuilding Patriots offense. That will be further emphasized given the schematics of the system under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

His proven production and noticeable fit in the new offense have the New England coaching staff intrigued about Stevenson's role this season. Running backs coach Taylor Embree believes in Stevenson's ability as a "pure runner" as he leads the position group.

"I think the wide zone for him is going to be awesome," Embree told reporters in August, per team-provided video. "These wide zones will open up explosives for him. ... The way he runs, he's going to be able to set blocks up, set guys up, find creases, and I think that's when you get the explosives."

Stevenson struggled like most of the Patriots' offense in a lost 2023 season. His potential rose in a dysfunctional 2022 system under Matt Patricia when he still totaled over 1,000 as the team's only consistent source of production. Now, Stevenson and his fellow backs get ready to shoulder the workload for the Patriots.

"They understand the run game is gonna be a big part of what we do," Embree added. "I think they're taking pride in that."

The Patriots begin the 2024 season on Sunday in Cincinnati against the Bengals at 1 p.m. ET.