FOXBOROUGH – New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson's improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 has been nothing short of outstanding, and it sounded like he got as heavy of a compliment as possible from his head coach the other.
During NBC's broadcast of Thursday's Patriots-Minnesota Vikings game, analyst Jason Garrett said that Bill Belichick compared Stevenson's growth to that of Tom Brady's and Lawrence Taylor's during their production meeting.
That isn't how Belichick remembered the conversation though. Belichick was asked Sunday about the comparison he allegedly made, which seemed to be foreign to him.
“I'm not sure [what you mean],” Bill Belichick said of the Tom Brady comparison. “You'd have to talk to Jason about that.”
In fact, Belichick refuted the claim that he made that comparison when asked if it was inaccurate.
“Yeah, I don't – I mean not the way you phrased that,” Belichick said. “I don't remember it quite that way. No.”
When asked how he remembered the conversation, Belichick said, “I mean you're talking about players who play completely different positions.”
There was a comparison Bill Belichick made for Stevenson though that he felt was appropriate for the position he plays.
“He’s done a good job, continues to do a good job,” the Patriots coach said. “Pass protection, he’s had a couple of really good plays in pass protection, James White-level plays. Seeing things, making adjustments, that kind of thing. He’s been a big help for us in that area of the game and whether it’s been blitz pickup, flare control, catching the ball, all of the above.”
Rhamondre Stevenson's got some fancy footwork to go with this first-down 🕺pic.twitter.com/FXtnyJCo1X
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 20, 2022
White certainly seems to be the gold standard when it comes to talking about which running backs were the best passing-down running backs in franchise history. White's first in receiving yards per game (34.5) and second in receiving touchdowns (25) for a running back in Patriots history.
What seemed to make White separate himself from the Kevin Faulk's, Dion Lewis' and Shane Vereen's in the world is his ability to block in the backfield.
Stevenson has worked well as both a receiver and pass-blocker this season, catching 50 passes for 359 yards and has a solid 73.1 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus this season. But Stevenson has also done significant damage on the ground, too. He's rushed for 680 yards on 4.5 yards per carry this season, consistently creating yards after contact to help the Patriots move the ball on the ground.
New England might have to continue to ask its running back to help lead the way in the upcoming weeks. Damien Harris didn't practice on Sunday after suffering a thigh injury against the Vikings, which isn't a good sign for his availability for Thursday's game against the Bills.
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