Rhamondre

Stevenson

Stevenson scored one of the more improbable touchdowns you will see late in the second quarter. After taking possession with just 14 seconds remaining on the clock, Drake Maye completed an 18-yard pass to A.J. Brown to place the ball near midfield with three seconds remaining before the half. Instead of heaving the ball deep on a Hail Mary, Maye dumped the ball off to Stevenson in the flat with blockers out front. Stevenson would do the rest on his way to a 48-yard score as time expired in the second frame on a score that never really should have happened. The six carries go down as a season-low for the veteran back, although 11 opportunities handily led the team. Stevenson has not seen more than 14 carries since Week 1 and is not finding paint frequently enough to remain a consistent RB2, making him a shaky weekly start moving forward. That holds true ahead of a Week 8 meeting with the Dolphins.

Stevenson was not targeted in the passing game. He didn’t make any big mistakes — that would be TreVeyon Henderson with his third quarter fumble — but like Hendo, Stevenson found himself mostly on the bench late as the Pats surprisingly rode No. 3 back Corey Kiner in closeout mode. Kiner received 11 carries in the game’s final 16:30. Speaking afterward, coach Mike Vrabel literally called it a hot-hand situation. The “hot hand” is something Stevenson rarely develops, so he can ill afford this backfield becoming a three-man committee. For now, Stevenson is still the Pats’ No. 1 running back. but things just got a little dicier heading into Thursday’s short-week matchup with the Bears.

Stevenson was splitting the backfield workload with TreVeyon Henderson before Henderson sustained a potentially serious ankle injury in the second quarter and did not return. Stevenson was somewhat efficient with his opportunities, breaking a few tackles against a low-energy, low-effort Raiders defense. His touchdown came on a goal line carry in the first half. It was his second score of the year. Stevenson will be a top-12 fantasy option next week against the Jets if Henderson is sidelined.

Stevenson already told reporters on Friday that he was “ready to go”, so this news item doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Stevenson will continue to operate as the Pats’ top option in high-leverage situations, though he could cede more work between the 20s to TreVeyon Henderson. Both backs are stuck as low-ceiling RB3 options this week.

Stevenson told Mike Reiss that he’s “ready to go” and that he just got “rolled up on” late in Week 4’s win over the Bills. We’d be surprised if he didn’t play on Sunday and he should be regarded on the optimistic side of questionable.

Stevenson is on track to play in Week 5 against the Raiders. It would be great to see him upgrade to full participation tomorrow. Regardless, Stevenson should at least be available for FLEX-viable duties on game day, if not his normal RB2-worthy workload.

This one is a surprise considering head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier Wednesday that Stevenson would not practice. Instead, the 28-year-old is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s official practice report. Stevenson seemingly tweaked his knee towards the end of Week 4 but he has a chance to play in Week 5 against the Raiders.

Stevenson tweaked his knee or ankle on his last touch of Week 4. The game ended shortly after that, so we didn’t get an official update on his injury from the team. Vrabel told reporters there is a chance he plays in Week 5, but it sounds like the veteran is on the wrong side of questionable as of Wednesday. TreVeyon Henderson’s role was dwindling in recent weeks, but Stevenson’s absence will thrust him right back into a workhorse role. He would be a high-end RB2 if Stevenson is unable to go.

Stevenson also hauled in a crucial two-point conversion catch on the late fourth-quarter drive that gave the Patriots the lead. Stevenson didn’t have any huge gains on the day, but he consistently gained yardage through the middle of the Bills’ defense and was the clear top option in the red zone. However, when the Patriots were trying to run out the clock, Stevenson got hit at the line of scrimmage and limped off the field with a knee injury. The game ended just two plays later, so this will have to be a situation fantasy managers monitor during the week.

TreVeyon Henderson, meanwhile, had eight rushes for a meager 23 yards in the blowout loss to Jacksonville. Stevenson ran most of the pass routes out of the backfield and saw more targets than Henderson, as usual. It didn’t lead to much. Stevenson next week against the Bills will be a touchdown dependent RB3 option who should be kept on the bench in most fantasy formats.