By admin 
The best way, perhaps the only way, for the New England Patriots to slow down that ferocious Seattle Seahawks pass rush on Wednesday night in the National Football League season opener is to run it right at them.
Read more The Big Nickel – Miami Dolphins New Defensive Strategy
On Tuesday, that plan got a little bit tougher for New England when second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson was officially ruled out of the contest.
Seeking the positives
One positive in that situation is that the Patriots have likely known this was going to be the case as Henderson hasn’t been seen at practice for weeks.
Another is the presence of Rhamondre Stevenson, a seasoned three-down pro, who is as fresh as he possibly can be.
Vrabel has confidence in him
“I think that there is a consistency (with Stevenson). I think that we have talked about his protection in the past, and that’ll be critical, I am sure, Wednesday night, as it will be every night,” said coach Mike Vrabel.
“I think that is probably one of the things I appreciate the most about him. Certainly, I love the ability to catch the football and run with it and create X plays, but also, I think that the protection for me is what stands out.”
And now the drawbacks
Stevenson has had two knocks on his game.
The first is fumbles. He had three early in 2025, leaving fans incensed and calling for Henderson in early October.
Read more Padres wait out Nationals’ bullpen, rally for win
Stevenson buckled up, though, and didn’t have another fumble the rest of the way, right through the Super Bowl.
The second is his wearing down through extended use. Fortunately, that should not be a problem in the opener.
He only had one 20-plus carry game in 2025, the playoff win in Denver. You have to go back into 2024 to find the next one.
Very little proven talent behind him
But on opening night, it should be all systems go with only the likes of Corey Kiner, Hassan Haskins or Lan Larison behind him.
“Ultimately, yeah, I’m ready for the first game. I feel well-prepared,” Stevenson said in late August.
Read more Solo homers by Eldridge, Koss lead SF Giants in win vs. Cardinals
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 8, 2026 at 9:10 PM.