FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has a easy strategy to fixing his group’s ball security issues.
“We’ve bought to proceed to observe the crap out of it,” Vrabel mentioned when requested if he has a greater concept how he’ll deal with operating again Rhamondre Stevenson and the group’s fumbling points.
The Patriots misplaced 4 fumbles, with Stevenson coughing up two of these, in Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Dolphins. Quarterback Drake Maye threw an interception and misplaced a fumble, and operating again Antonio Gibson misplaced a fumble, as effectively.
So, it’s straightforward to say the Patriots ought to bench or lower ties with Stevenson, however he’s not the one individual on the group with turnover points.
“We additionally must do a greater job of defending mentioned individual with the ball, whether or not that’s the quarterback, whether or not that’s the operating again or the receiver, and we’re all accountable for the safety of the soccer,” Vrabel continued.
“It begins with the one who has it. After which it falls on the people who find themselves blocking. Once more, we’ll proceed to rep it, and we now have to place two arms on the soccer once we’re going by means of there. That’s what we now have to do. That’s the one factor I understand how to do is proceed to observe it and work it. After which additionally possibly it’s not a lot the individual that you see, it’s the one that you simply don’t see. And there’s a couple of alternatives that we will present them right here, a little bit little bit of that. And sure, the individual is accountable for caring for soccer, however once more, the opposite individuals even have a crucial job in ball safety.”
Stevenson led operating backs final season with seven fumbles. These have been his first two fumbles of the season, and he was one of many group’s stars of their Week 2 win over the Dolphins. Gibson fumbled twice final season, and this was his first fumble of the season.
One answer is to provide rookie TreVeyon Henderson extra reps at operating again, which the Patriots did in Sunday’s loss. The Ohio State product has rushed 19 occasions for 65 yards and caught 11 passes for 73 yards this season. He additionally has the third-lowest PFF pass-blocking grade amongst operating backs this season with a 6.6 (out of 100) mark. He’s allowed a sack and a rush and been flagged twice for holding in seven snaps. He’s additionally not essentially constructed for a bell-cow workload.
Vrabel reiterated a comment his made Sunday night time that the Patriots are going to want Stevenson.
“We’re going to want him. We’re going to want everyone,” Vrabel mentioned. “He’s bought expertise, skillset. He’s a very good protector, we belief him in safety. We’ll get by means of this.
“I feel quite a lot of it’s simply the consistency and persevering with to construct confidence. However you need to go on the market and do it. How I handle that from an accountability standpoint, I might say as of now, I don’t know what that can seem like afterward within the week so far as how we distribute the reps.”
In Week 3, Henderson performed 34 snaps, Stevenson was on the sphere for 27 snaps, and Gibson performed 19 snaps.
The Patriots even have operating again Terrell Jennings on their observe squad. They might elect to signal a operating again off the road or off of one other group’s observe squad to supply extra competitors on the place.
