FOXBOROUGH - When Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled for the fourth time in four games, he and Jerod Mayo had a conversation on the sideline, and you had to wonder if the veteran running back was about to get his butt stapled to the bench. And indeed, Stevenson did sit for three whole snaps before checking back in the game.
I get it. Mayo is watching his offense - errr, Alex Van Pelt's offense - struggle to do much of anything right. So removing arguably your most talented player on that side of the ball is essentially cutting off your nose to spite your face. Yet, here we are, starting with a possible Antonio Gibson elevation to the number one back role against Miami this weekend.
"That's definitely under consideration," Mayo said. "I've had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. Look, we can't preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time. I think it sends a stronger message to the players that there are certain things that we just can't do to win, especially with the team we have today."
The team we have today. Oh boy. On the one hand, Mayo is a realist about the state of that group, especially what's happening along the offensive line (Wednesday's practice report will be frightening). On the other hand, Mayo's job is to solve all problems. That last line didn't sound like a man turning over every rock to find a solution. That sounds like a man accepting his fate and, perhaps (as I've written prior regarding the offense) distancing himself from the wreckage.
There's also the specific manner in which Mayo is handling the Stevenson situation. He had no problem saying what he said about a possible change.Still, when we spoke to the running back after his coach's press conference today, Stevenson told us he had yet to converse with Mayo about the possibility of a Gibson elevation.
Stevenson took the high road when I asked him if he would have preferred to hear that news directly from Mayo and not from a gaggle of reporters (as he should, by the way)
"I mean, it's the elephant in the room," he told me. "I dropped the ball four times, so whatever coaching staff has (for me), you know, playing (or not playing), I'm rocking with it. Go out there, practice hard, like I always do, and get ready for Sunday."
Something might have gotten lost in translation between Stevenson and Mayo. Of course, that would be another in a line of wires getting crossed (was Drake Maye better than Jacoby Brissett? Yes? No?) or the message not getting received (edge setting) just a month into the season.
Stevenson's fumble against the 49ers was hard to explain. He secured the ball the way they were taught — the five points of pressure, if you will (elbow, chest, forearm, bicep, hand placement) — but the ball still ended up on the ground.
"I feel like it's not really like a fundamental thing," he told us. "I feel like I hold the ball, you know, the right way, and things like that, but I guess I'm not holding it tight enough, so gotta hold it tighter."
Is Stevenson now at the point where the compounding of miscues is not in his head and has become as much psychological as physical? He dismissed the notion.
"No, that's why I'm probably dropping the ball. So I need to have it on my mind a little bit more."
Just so you're aware, Gibson has 12 career fumbles, and Stevenson has 11. Stevenson's four this season match his career high set two seasons ago, which happened with 279 touches. This year, he has 74.
HELP ON THE WAY?
The Patriots have officially started the clock on a trio of players on IR or the PUP list. Kendrick Bourne (as expected), LB Sione Takitaki, and safety/LB Marte Mapu were all in attendance at Wednesday's full-pad practice. Bourne is recovering from a torn ACL, Takitaki had arthroscopic surgery on his knee this spring, and Mapu had a calf injury that waylaid him after one practice in training camp. Mayo was asked if it was unrealistic to think any of the three (all of the three?) to play this week.
"I wouldn't say it's unrealistic," he said. "I think we have to sit here and see how the next couple of days go. Look, even those guys are at different points as far as, I'm not going to say 100%, 80% and all that stuff, but I would say those guys are at different points. They'll practice depending on how their body feels. We'll go through our individual drills, and we'll take it from there.
The Pats have 21 days to add them to the active roster, or they become ineligible to play for the rest of the year. The team would have to make corresponding roster moves to get these players on the 53-man roster, but one spot will come open once David Andrews is placed on injured reserve.
INJURY REPORT
