Patriots Veteran Was Key to Playoff Win

With the colder temperatures returning to the region, the importance of a strong and deep rushing attack will continue to be vital for the continued success of Maye and the offense — perhaps taking on even greater significance with their hosting a Divisional Round playoff matchup at Gillette Stadium next week. As such, Stevenson is picking the right time to peak.

The Pats’ veteran rusher is at his best when blending his physical, powerful running style with his vision and athleticism to make tacklers miss in short-yardage situational runs. He also continues to demonstrate an ability to utilize the open field as an available target from both the backfield as well as the line of scrimmage. In the past four games, Stevenson has rushed for 332 yards, caught 15 passes for 206 yards and six touchdowns.

Having Stevenson healthy and capable of shouldering an extensive workload appears to be precisely what the metaphorical doctor ordered. Known for his penchant for establishing the run to facilitate play-action passes, Stevenson is well-equipped to be an effective offensive weapon as the Pats move deeper into their current playoff run — a point not lost on head coach Mike Vrabel.

“Anytime that you can finish the game running the football against the Chargers and a defense like that, I think it's very positive,” Vrabel said. “Certainly we weren't one-dimensional. We were able to run the football …. get some yards on first down. I thought Rhamondre and the backs ran hard. I thought they did a great job of taking care of the football.”