FOXBOROUGH – A couple weeks ago, Rhamondre Stevenson made a bit of a stunning admission – at least for a player that plays in New England. The Patriots running back, who grew up on the West Coast, said that he hates playing in the cold.
Stevenson not only backtracked that statement on Sunday, but he also said he's kind of looking forward to it.
“Cold games like this, I know I said here a couple weeks ago that I hate the cold, but a piece of me loves it too because a lot of defensive players don’t want to tackle in the cold,” Stevenson said. “It gets a little more crunch time around this time of year, especially running the ball.”
Now that Thanksgiving's past us, the remainder of the Patriots' home schedule (plus a game against the Bills in Buffalo) will likely be played in the cold. Thursday's game against the Bills is looking to be a cold one. Temperature is expected to be below 30 degrees Fahrenheit with some wind, per AccuWeather.
The Patriots have already had one game with a similar sort of weather. In Week 11 against the New York Jets, it was roughly a few degrees warmer but far windier. Stevenson struggled on the ground that game against an elite Jets front, rushing for only 26 yards on 15 carries in that game. However, he made plays as a receiver that game, catching six passes for 56 yards.
In the four outdoor games he played in the Northeast following Thanksgiving last season, Stevenson played pretty well. He rushed for a total of 258 yards on 4.3 yards per carry over those four games, which included 24 rushes for 78 yards in the game against the Buffalo Bills that the Patriots threw just three passes.
Stevenson's become the Patriots' do-it-all running back though, regardless of the weather. He has 680 rushing yards this season on 4.5 yards per carry and has been a force in the passing game, catching 50 passes for 359 yards to go along with solid pass-blocking.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick praised Stevenson earlier Sunday by complimenting his all-around game. One of his teammates, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, was asked to give a scouting report of the emerging running back later in the day.
"It means a lot. Just from where I started from last year, just remembering how little I knew and how unproductive I really was… it feels good."
Rhamondre Stevenson reacts to Bill Belichick comparing him to James White as a pass protector 👏 pic.twitter.com/Gzw3EWcUGq
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) November 27, 2022
“Very dynamic running back. A three-down running back, for sure,” Bentley said. “Being able to run the ball, good contact balance. Being able to take a hit and keep going. Whatever the offense needs him to do, for real. Whether it be play wide receiver: He kinda does it all.
“I’m glad he’s on my team. I think that’s a good description of him.”
The Patriots will likely need Stevenson to carry more of the burden against the Bills on Thursday. Damien Haris missed Sunday's practice after suffering a thigh injury in Thursday's loss to the Vikings, leaving doubt as to whether or not he'll play against the Bills.
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