EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – He got away with it the first time.
The second time too.
But when Rhamondre Stevenson dropped the ball for the third time this season, losing it late in Thursday night’s game against the Jets, he had to pay for it.
The offense lost possession. He lost playing time. And the Patriots lost 24-3.
Stevenson said little about his fumble problems after the game.
“I have to keep the ball,” Stevenson said.
Any special adjustments?
“Nope. I have to hold on to it,” he repeated.
As the Patriots’ lead back, Stevenson rushed for a season-low 23 yards on six carries on Thursday and failed to make a catch for the first time this year. Before Thursday, Stevenson averaged 100.5 rushing yards per game and scored two touchdowns, often creating yards himself and ranking among the NFL leaders in rush yards gained after physical contact.
The offense also recovered his previous fumbles against Cincinnati and Seattle. However, with no luck or running space against the Jets, Stevenson and the Patriots managed to lose three balls twice in their first six possessions. Stevenson then fumbled on the first play of the seventh drive and didn’t take another snap after that.
“We just have to look at the film, go through it all again and figure something out,” Stevenson said. “Figure out how we can win.”
Antonio Gibson and third-string backup JaMycal Hasty handled all of the Pats’ running back snaps for the final 14:02 minutes of the game. Gibson finished with a team-best 29 yards on five carries and three catches.
Stevenson’s three fumbles are just one shy of his career-high for a full season. In 2022, he fumbled four times and set personal highs in rush yards (1,040), receptions (69) and touchdowns (six). This season, Stevenson fumbled once every 70 touches, about the same rate as his rookie season. Last year, he saw a marked improvement in ball security (1 fumble in 194 touches), although Stevenson’s rushing and receiving totals were down.
Despite his fumble, the 26-year-old said Thursday’s loss, the Patriots’ second in a row following their shock win over the Bengals in Week 1, didn’t do much for him.
“Honestly, I didn’t really learn anything,” he said. “Just another loss.”
