The New England Patriots offense lost its most dynamic player early in Sunday's Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled in the first quarter and injured his ankle on the play. He left the game, didn't return and was later ruled out by the team. The injury happened on a “hip-drop” tackle, a type of play the NFL could potentially ban.
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The Patriots went on to lose 6-0, dropping their record to 2-10 but improving their position in the 2024 NFL Draft order.
The good news for Stevenson is that, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, initial X-rays on his ankle were negative. However, it also looks like he will miss some time with the injury.
Stevenson rushed for at least 87 yards in each of the three previous games entering Sunday. He also scored two touchdowns over that span. Stevenson was on pace to approach that yardage total again against the Chargers when he exited with 39 yards.
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The Patriots did actually run the ball quite well in Week 13. They tallied 148 yards on 32 carries (4.6 per attempt). The passing attack was awful and sunk the offense again.
The Patriots have a short week to prepare for the Steelers ahead of their "Thursday Night Football" matchup in Pittsburgh.