FOXBORO — For what felt just like the seventeenth time final weekend, Rhamondre Stevenson stared down an unblocked defender earlier than he might cross the road of scrimmage.
Jets security Jordan Whitehead had flown into the field on the opening play of the second half and ready to cease Stevenson in an inside hole. Whitehead lowered his shoulder, and Stevenson burrowed behind his pads. For a break up second, they disappeared.
Then, from a violent sea of Patriots blockers and Jets pursuers, Stevenson emerged. He accelerated straight upfield for eight yards, shrugged off one other security after shaking him with a useless leg and sped up the correct numbers. Chasing Stevenson from behind, Jets linebacker C.J. Moseley ultimately angled him into the sideline, however not earlier than making an attempt a two-handed knockout blow out of bounds.
Stevenson met the four-time Pro Bowler with a robust stiff arm. Mosley misplaced the battle and spilled onto the turf, whereas Stevenson casually gazed into the group as if making an attempt to identify a pal or member of the family.
His 35-yard run sparked the Patriots’ solely landing drive towards the Jets, a 22-17 wrestling match of a win marred by poor offensive line play. It additionally accounted for nearly half of Stevenson’s 83 speeding yards gained after contact that day.
He completed with 71 complete.
Stevenson’s potential to create beneficial properties from nothing has masked deepening cracks within the basis of the Patriots’ offense, their smashmouth working sport.
Over the previous three weeks, Patriots ball carriers have been met on the line of scrimmage on 56.1% of run performs, in response to Sports Info. Solutions, by far the worst mark within the league. Unsurprisingly, the Pats additionally rank useless final in stuff price over that point, with greater than 30% of their rushes going for adverse yards or no acquire. Nonetheless, Stevenson has averaged 4 yards per carry, together with 3.2 yards after contact.
On the season, he ranks first within the NFL in makes an attempt per damaged sort out and ranks in yards gained after contact per carry. Power is Stevenson’s calling card, nevertheless it’s his mild toes and mushy fingers which have allowed the 24-year-old to degree up this season.
A trimmer Stevenson nearly appears to levitate on sure cuts, dancing by defenders together with his 225-pound body and a mobility of somebody his weight. As a receiver, he’s caught 32 passes on 37 targets, each second-most on the staff. He’s additionally led the Patriots in each sport since September, the clearest signal of unmistakable breakout.
“Love him,” Pats coach Bill Belichick stated of Stevenson after an Oct. 9 win over Detroit. “Love him.”
Informed of Belichick’s affectionate reveal this week, Stevenson smiled.
“I feel like there’s that chemistry between us, and he knows I’m gonna come in here and just work hard, and I think he just respects that. And I respect him,” Stevenson stated Thursday. “He’s a great coach, a Hall of Fame coach.”
Stevenson later added he loves Belichick, too — and dealing with the ball. His receiving abilities have impressed some teammates to check him to his third-down predecessor, James White, who retired this summer time. Stevenson credited White for sharpening his abilities as a pass-catching again and stated the 2 nonetheless converse typically, whilst White embarks on a media profession.
“James White, he just — he coached me up a lot, on and off the field,” Stevenson stated. “So, just him being there for me and just telling me how to read defenses, the right way to run routes, just the whole thing. Yeah, he’s very instrumental with what’s going on now.”
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Extra tape research has allowed Stevenson to amplify his knack for breaking tackles. He’s begun to anticipate defenders’ angles and strategies as they shut in and arm himself with a counter, be it a stiff arm, useless leg or lowered shoulder.
“Just knowing what leverage the tacklers are coming in with, just getting more familiar with that,” Stevenson stated. “Watching film, seeing how certain guys on certain teams are coming in to tackle and work off that.”
Because Damien Harris missed most of apply this week as a consequence of sickness, Stevenson is once more anticipated to function the Patriots’ bellcow again. Earlier this week, he was requested about his psychological method to a sport like that, and the thought of carrying a full workload.
“Just do what we worked on in practice,” Stevenson stated. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
Of course, that is outdated hat now, and has been for 3 weeks. Stevenson is single-handedly carrying a Patriots run offense that will be a web adverse with out him, however may quickly revive itself if middle David Andrews and proper sort out Marcus Cannon return to well being. Then, his highlights will not be born from desperation, however well-blocked design, simply as any good working sport’s ought to.
“It’s amazing (watching Stevenson),” Pats security Adrian Phillips stated. “Being able to catch a pass one-handed coming out of the backfield going full speed and making people miss, he makes it look so effortless. It’s crazy.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com