Entering the 2024 season, the Patriots were expected to be a run-first team for a variety of reasons. One of those was due to the rise of Rhamondre Stevenson in their offense since he was drafted in 2021. Add to that new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who is known for using running backs most often in his game plans, and it was a clear path to success for the newly expanded player.

It was clear in the season opener that this was exactly the plan for the coming year, as Stevenson recorded 25 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, followed by another impressive performance in Week 2 with a total of 21 carries for 81 yards and a score.

He had quickly become the only productive member of the struggling offense and seemed to be their saving grace in an otherwise disappointing year.

The problem with that assumption, however, was the return of Stevenson's fumbling issues, which affected his performance in his second season. It was a bad habit that landed him in Bill Belichick's doghouse, and it took several weeks to fully integrate him back into game plans.

Fast forward to this season and he faces a similar situation with new head coach Jerod Mayo blaming the running back for his turnovers, especially after his fumble led to a score against the 49ers last week.

Despite the “player-coach” label he has repeatedly battled against, Mayo has proven to take a no-nonsense approach to many things as head coach of the Patriots. He showed that by seemingly making rookie Javon Baker a healthy scratch after his Instagram Live debacle before the start of the season, and did it again with Stevenson before Week 5.

The running back has now recorded four fumbles in the first four games of the season, putting an already disappointing offense in worse shape.

Because of this, Mayo announced Friday afternoon that Stevenson will not be in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Dolphins and Antonio Gibson will step in in his place to show that they will not tolerate his continued problematic play.

This is not a stance that many head coaches in Mayo's position would take, considering how important Stevenson is to the success of the offense. Since he's a dual-threat player, he was used a lot by Jacoby Brissett, but now he won't have that option nearly as much, at least for the upcoming game.

It's probably not a long-term “punishment” for Stevenson, as he has undoubtedly proven to be the Patriots' best offensive weapon. However, it is not ideal for any team to give opponents as many chances as they did this year, no matter how much they win or lose.

Fortunately, in the meantime, Gibson has overwhelmed the opportunities he's had to get the football and should be a more than adequate replacement for Stevenson's rep.

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