New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo left everyone a bit baffled Saturday with his handling of the team’s running back situation.
Mayo said before Saturday’s game that Rhamondre Stevenson would be benched to start Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Mayo cited Stevenson’s recent fumbles as the key reason for the move, and said Antonio Gibson would get the start instead.
"Gibby is going to start for us today." — Jerod Mayo, to @scottzolak on @985TheSportsHub, when asked about Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbles affecting RB usage today.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 28, 2024
However, when the game actually started, many were confused to see Stevenson on the field for the first drive of the game anyway. That led to a lot of questions about Mayo and his ability to hold players accountable.
Rhamondre Stevenson starts the game. Accountability and consistency from Jerod Mayo. https://t.co/yrXWdk7YoD
— Matt McCarthy (@MattMcCarthy985) December 28, 2024
Stevenson only got two carries for one yard in the first half. Gibson got three, so it was not as if he was significantly ahead in the pecking order.
Mayo’s initial stance on Stevenson was understandable. The running back has fumbled seven times on the season entering Saturday’s game, including three in the last five games. For a team that has struggled with ball security, that is unacceptable. It is not clear how Mayo thinks this will address the issue, especially if he is unwilling to follow through on his statements.
Mayo has actually threatened to sit Stevenson before over this same problem, only for the running back to retain the majority of the workload. This instance was pretty egregious, however. Mayo made his statement less than an hour before kickoff and then went back on it almost immediately. It’s hard to see how that would be taken seriously.
