Rhamondre Stevenson Reveals Key to Success Under Patriots' OC

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is hoping that his second tour of duty under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will yield successful results. 

After all, it’s not exactly his first rodeo within the McDaniels corral. 

Stevenson, who played under the Pats’ OC during his rookie season, compiled  606 yards on 133 carries with five touchdowns in 2021. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry while maneuvering his way to the top of the positional depth chart. 

Though he may be three seasons removed from McDaniels’ tutelage, Stevenson believes that his knowledge of the system will help him quickly assimilate into a significant role within the Patriots offense this season. 

“I’d say I’m very comfortable. Just looking back through it, Josh [McDaniels] and Bill [Belichick] yelled at me a lot my rookie year for this same playbook,” Stevenson told reporters on Monday at Gillette Stadium. “So I kind of got it drilled into me. I just need to go over it a little more.” I’m just trying to be focused and just trying to be perfect on the field and set a good example for everybody else on the team.”

Despite his heightened confidence, Stevenson still has much work to be done to achieve his goals. The 27-year-old had been absent for much of the team’s offseason workout program due to the passing of his father Robert in March at age 54. He had also been grieving the loss of his childhood friend Brandan Harley during the latter half of 2024.

Given the presence of veteran Antonio Gibson, and explosive second-round draft choice TreVeyon Henderson, some have speculated whether Stevenson’s role could be reduced in the coming season. Yet, Patriots head coach has routinely indicated that he expects the Oklahoma product to be a notable contributor to the team’s offense this season. 

“He’s going to be a large part of what we do, and we’ll just have to determine where he’s at when he’s back here,” Vrabel told reporters on late May. “I’ve been in constant communication with him … most recently via telephone. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they heal and they grieve. I want to be a part of that to help them.”

While his expectations for success within former coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s outside zone offense were high heading into 2024, Stevenson struggled — due both to injury and ball security. The 6’0” 227-pound back set career highs with seven fumbles — three of which were lost. As a result of his issues with protecting the football, Stevenson was demoted in early October by then-coach Jerod Mayo from his starting role. He finished the season having compiled 801 yards on 207 carries with seven touchdowns in 15 games.

Accordingly , Stevenson has made protecting the football priority heading into mandatory minicamp. 

“The biggest thing is ball security … I think that’s obvious,” Stevenson said. “I’m trying to be good with the ball, 100 percent ball security so we can get some wins under our belt.”

Known for his penchant for establishing the run to facilitate play action passes, Stevenson is well-equipped to be a strong fit within McDaniels’ offensive system. He 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 demonstrates an uncanny knack for utilizing the open field as an available target from both the backfield, as well as the line of scrimmage — each of which was evidenced by his impressive catch of a Drake Maye pass on a wheel route down the sideline during Monday’s practice. 

Should he continue to demonstrate such prowess during mandatory minicamp, Rhamondre Stevenson may be back in the saddle again in short order.