Disappointed? Patriots Wishy-Washy On Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson is perhaps the most important skill player in New England.

The Patriots made it abundantly clear they've designed the offense to lean on him heavily this season and did so through three weeks. Stevenson has more touches (57), scrimmage yards (239) and touchdowns (two) than anyone else on the roster, but a trio of fumbles raised questions about whether he can handle such a heavy workload.

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett would disagree.

"Unwavering," Brissett said Wednesday when asked about his confidence in Stevenson, per team-provided transcript. "He's one of the best running backs in the league. I mean, I'm not too worried about that."

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was less definitive.

"We always say that ball security is job security, and we're all disappointed in the three fumbles," Mayo said, per team-provided transcript. "He understands that. It's definitely a point of emphasis (Wednesday). We'll go out there and practice in full pads. Those guys need to be hit and need to get hit. I would also say that I have confidence in that room as a whole, not just Rhamondre. I think (Antonio Gibson) has done a good job. (JaMycal) Hasty's ready to go. He prepares like a starter every week. We have to take care of the ball."

Which one would you rather have on your side?

Mayo has every right to feel disappointed in Stevenson's propensity for putting the ball on the turf, though the only one he lost came in a blowout loss that was headed in that direction with or without the giveaway. The Patriots need to control the clock if they hope to compete this season, and that starts with playing the possession game and feeding their freshly-paid rusher.

If Stevenson is going to give the ball away, that kind of kills the whole design.

"Rhamondre is probably top-five in the league as far as breaking tackles," Mayo said. "That's a dual-edge sword. You always want these guys to break tackles and try to make these big explosive plays, but in doing that, sometimes the ball gets loose. We always talk about double in trouble. If people are around you, put two hands on the football. It sounds simple to say, but it is hard to do it sometimes, especially when you're trying to get extra yards."

Gibson has been surprisingly effective in limited opportunities, rushing for 96 yards on 11 carries in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks a couple weeks back. Is it time to give him some increased opportunities? Maybe, but the problem would be solved with some increased ball security from 'Mondre.