FOXBOROUGH - Odds and ends from One Patriot Place on a short week with a trip to Pittsburgh and a primetime game on Thursday night. On behalf of all New Englanders, I apologize for what you're about to see:
First, I can confirm per team sources that Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high ankle sprain. That injury typically takes three weeks or so to recover (though generally, it won't feel right for months). There's already chatter that the Pats should shut him down for the rest of the season. Someone close to Stevenson told me, "If he can find a way to be out there, he will. He won't let his brothers down. That's not who he is."
"It's tough," said Hunter Henry, recounting Stevenson's injury. "Rhamondre is a great back, a great guy to have in the locker room."
Stevenson had been running as well as he had all season in recent weeks. His absence will move Ezekiel Elliott into the lead role, with Ty Montgomery and JaMychal Hasty in secondary roles. The Pats could also elevate Kevin Harris from the practice squad.
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Bill Belichick mentioned last week that there isn't a "lot of roller coaster" with Bailey Zappe. I interpreted that two ways: 1) the second-year QB is an even-keeled dude, which was part of his scouting report coming out of college and certainly seen for much of his on-field work in 2022, and 2) that Belichick was taking a not-so-subtle shot at Mac Jones, who has unraveled on several occasions. Zappe said his approach was ingrained in him long ago.
"I'm really cool, calm, and collected," Zappe said from the podium Tuesday afternoon. "That's kind of how my dad brought me up; my mom brought me up. I don't really try to dive into trying to overload myself or anything like that. I try to control what I can control, and wherever my read is, try to do my read and if something happens and I make a mistake, I try to go back and learn from it. I try to not dive into it and ride the rollercoaster ride. I try to stay level."
Zappe was 13 of 25 for 141 yards in Sunday's 6-0 shutout loss to the Chargers. He'll be facing a much better defense this week. The Steelers are habitually one of the tougher units in the league and can really get after the quarterback with T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Alex Highsmith.
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If I could pick one player to drink a beer or three with, it would be David Andrews. He may be a multi-millionaire (full disclosure: I am not) but is a down-home dude who likes eating and hanging out with his wife, kid, and dogs. In all our conversations with him, Andrews considers being in the league a privilege. That comes through when he talks, whether after wins, losses, or during the week. I enjoyed his answer when asked about playing in Pittsburgh, one of the best venues/atmospheres in the NFL.
"I got a buddy going into the game," Andrews said. "I was like, 'man, you gotta go' if you have the opportunity. It's a great experience to watch the game and how the city is set up right there on the river. You know, all that. It is definitely a highlight to get to play there. I've always enjoyed it, whether it's from "Renegade" (song by Styx) in the fourth quarter, in key moments, or things like that. You know, you hate hearing it come on, but you know, you always enjoy it looking back on it because it is a historic place, a historic franchise."
Sums it up perfectly. And while some players may not always look at the game with gratitude like Andrews does, they're missing out on getting the opportunity to do and see things that only the smallest percentage of the population can.