The backfield hasn't been as crowded for New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson whenever he lines up behind the quarterback this season.
That's because there's one less player sharing that space with the second-year back.
After years of deploying a fullback, and doing so successfully whether it was James Develin, Jakob Johnson or others in the role, the Patriots opted to leave the position vacant on their roster this year. It's something many teams in the NFL have already done and New England followed the trend in hopes of revamping its offensive attack.
No longer putting a fullback in front of Stevenson hasn't slowed him down, and the Oklahoma product actually feels more comfortable in the offense without the presence of one.
"It's what I'm used to, honestly," Stevenson told reporters following practice Thursday, per team-provided video. "Last year was my first time even having a fullback in front of me. So, I miss (Johnson), to say the least. But I like having more spread-out formations running the ball."
Stevenson has taken advantage of the extra room to operate, especially in last week's shutout win over the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium. With Damien Harris going down with a hamstring injury, Stevenson rushed for a career-high 161 yards on 25 carries. It hasn't just been in that matchup that the shifty runner has excelled in, though.
Stevenson, who the Patriots selected in the fourth round of last year's draft, has blossomed into a reliable playmaker as he sits in 11th place in the NFL in rushing yards with 372. He's also top 10 in the league among running backs with 5.5 yards per carry.
Stevenson's success and ascension could be partly due to allowing his supreme running instincts and skills to take over and not having to think about just following a fullback into the hole.
"He makes our jobs a lot easier when you got a guy running downhill like the way he runs," Hunter Henry told reporters, per team-provided video. "It's tough to arm-tackle a guy like that. Big, smooth runner, great vision, too. He's able to set up blocks really well. It makes a lot of our lives easier."
Stevenson could see a similar workload Sunday as he did against the Lions with Harris still hobbled. The Patriots did activate a rookie running back Thursday with Harris limited at practice. It would be quite the opportunity for Stevenson to seize the lead-back role and build on his career performance when the Patriots travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns.
And Stevenson won't have to worry about any fullbacks clogging up running space.
