Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson is New England's lead back and top passing-down option right now, but his rushing volume is small and the Patriots have rotated their backs from week to week.
Role
In the Thursday loss to Chicago, the Boston Globe (Oct. 24) had him on 37 snaps, 69 percent of the offense, with six carries for 22 yards and five catches for a career-high 93 yards. TreVeyon Henderson played 13 of 54 snaps per Pats Pulpit, as cited by Yahoo. The Globe said Corey Kiner played six snaps and had four carries for 13 yards. Fox Sports has called Stevenson the RB1 this season and said Kiner is slated for backup duties. In Week 1, with Henderson out, Stevenson played 85 percent of snaps with 18 carries and five catches. After Henderson returned, one report said his share dropped to 36 percent. One report said he has had fewer than 10 carries in back-to-back games, though I could not date that report. I did not read the club's depth chart page, so I am not reporting it.
He is the clear lead back at 69 percent of snaps and is trusted in blitz pickup and on passing downs, per the Globe and SI. Henderson has been limited since his Week 5 ankle injury, and Fox says Stevenson's share should grow while Henderson is sidelined. When Henderson was out in Week 1, Stevenson carried a workhorse load of 18 carries and five catches.
The rushing role is thin: six carries for 22 yards against Chicago, and a Week 1 average of 2.8 yards per carry. The 93-yard game leaned on a 48-yard touchdown that the Globe called improbable. Game script and Henderson's health can swing the split. Stevenson dropped to 36 percent of snaps in a game after Henderson returned, and Henderson and Kiner both keep a share of the carries.
Where analysts split
The question is whether Stevenson's big snap share holds once Henderson is healthy. Henderson's ankle and the Patriots' use of packages for him are the unknowns. The Globe and Fox read the current usage as Stevenson-led. SI noted before Week 6 that Henderson's early return to practice could trim Stevenson's expanded role, and Henderson has since played only a small role. I found no analyst forecasting a full reversal.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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