The 2023 season has been a disaster for the New England Patriots, who dropped to 2-10 on the season with their Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The ineptitude of their offense has been their biggest issue, as the team lost 6-0 embarrassingly on Sunday.
Making matters worse is that the Patriots lost one of their only reliable weapons on that side of the ball to injury. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of the game and he was unable to return.
He underwent tests on his ankle and the results weren’t overly positive. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Stevenson suffered a dreaded high ankle sprain. The injury is expected to keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.
Given the current state of the team and the fact that only five games remain in the season, there is certainly a chance we don’t see Stevenson back on the field this season. He has been solid when called upon, rushing for 619 yards and four touchdowns on 156 carries.
His production in the passing game remained excellent as well this season. He has caught 38 passes for 238 yards. Stevenson actually leads the Patriots in receptions this season, which speaks volumes about how bad the passing offense has been.
NFL News & Rumors: Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots Updates
Without Stevenson, the Patriots are expected to turn their backfield over to veteran Ezekiel Elliott. While this is a good chance for the former Dallas Cowboys player to show what he has got in the tank, seeing a teammate go down is never something anyone wants to see.
“It’s tough to see guys go down,” Elliott said Monday. “I know it’s part of the sport, but Rhamondre has been very, very good for us this year in the pass game and run game. You hate to see one of your brothers go down.”
In relief of Stevenson on Sunday afternoon, Elliott played a season-high 44 snaps. Expect that trend to continue for as long as the ankle injury keeps him sidelined for. On the season, Elliott had been playing about 38 percent of the offensive snaps.
While the poor supporting cast has played a part, Elliott has lacked that burst, something that was an issue the last few seasons in Dallas. He has carried the ball 112 times for 429 yards, averaging only 3.83 yards per carry.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
