A lot of players contributed to the New England Patriots' upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, but a strong case could be made that Rhamondre Stevenson made the strongest impact.
The veteran running back picked up 120 yards (4.8 per carry) and a touchdown to help lead the Patriots to a 16-10 victory at Paycor Stadium.
Stevenson's efforts on the ground allowed the Patriots to win the time of possession battle (34:03 to 25:57) and wear down the Bengals defense, which was especially useful late in the fourth quarter as New England ran out the clock with its dominant rushing attack.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
More Patriots coverage
The Patriots released a cool video Wednesday of Stevenson's best mic'd up moments from the season-opening win. Near the end of the game, Stevenson tells himself, "It's what I asked for. I'm built for this. Four-minute football. Everyone depending on me. Let's do it."
Check out the full video in the post below:
Have a day, Dre❕@dreeday32 | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/tnxSUYEIzg
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 11, 2024
The Patriots will need another excellent performance from Stevenson if they're going to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's Week 2 game at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.