Rhamondre Stevenson Keeps Patriots Running Game Churning

Drake Maye threw for a career-high five touchdowns, as the New England Patriots throttled the New York Jets in Week 17. But the 42-10 win wouldn't have come as convincingly had the running game not done its job.

TreVeyon Henderson paced the team with 82 yards on the ground, while Rhamondre Stevenson added 47 of his own. Both players were dealing with injuries (or the lingering results of them) in the game, as Henderson was going through concussion protocol all week, while Stevenson has finally turned a corner from his midseason toe ailment.

Now the AFC East champion Patriots can lean on their MVP-candidate quarterback, or their running game.

"It feels great," Stevenson said. "It feels great to, you know, I think we're 8-0 on the road now, so I think that's a great accomplishment for us as a team. Me personally, just putting weeks together. You know, every week's different. Every week is its own challenge, so the next challenge is Miami next week."

The game started out fast for the visitors. By the time the first quarter ended, the Patriots were up on the lowly Jets by two scores. The second was a one-yard rushing score by Stevenson to double the lead.

Stevenson Has Completely Gone Away From His Early Season Fumbles

Just one quarter later, Stevenson added his second touchdown of the afternoon. This time, he slipped out of the backfield and was wide open for the 22-yard catch-and-run. He's begun to carve out his role as the team's primary ground-and-pound back, creating his version of what he calls a "tough" Patriots team.

"I mean, my definition of a tough football team is running the ball and controlling the clock," he said. "So, I think if we can do that, that's a great recipe for postseason and things like that. So, I'm happy we got that done today."

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) with a touchdown reception against New York Jets defensive end Eric Watts (95) during the second quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

And what does Henderson, who's become one of the biggest threats in the entire NFL, think about his running mate?

"I respect Rhamondre's game a lot," the rookie said. "I've learned so much from his game throughout the season, his pass protection, his one-on-one matchups, making guys miss. He's taught me a lot. I think we just feed off each other really well. It just shows, nothing really to say about it."

As for his quarterback, Stevenson was all praise.

"Just how he approaches each week. He goes in there with a mindset on Wednesday, our first day of practice in the week, he goes in there with a mindset of, you know, he kind of wants to win a game on Wednesdays and throughout the week before we get to Sunday, and I think that's a big thing for him and just the team," Stevenson said. "Just putting our best foot forward throughout practice and then reaping the rewards on Sunday."

Now as the playoffs loom, this time as the champs of the division for the first time since 2019, New England's running game is certainly going to be a major factor.

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