The Patriots appeared to have avoided catastrophe when Rhamondre Stevenson went down with a foot injury in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, but they aren’t totally out of the woods just yet.
New England is expected to be without the 25-year-old for at least one week and already has started preparing to fill his spot in the lineup.
“I feel confident about the backs — (Antonio Gibson, JaMycal) Hasty and we’ll figure out who we’re going to elevate after that,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Friday, per team-provided video. “I feel good about it.”
Stevenson missed each of the first two practices this week, and while the expectation is that he won’t be ready to go Sunday against the Houston Texans, it shouldn’t be a long-term absence. The Patriots have running backs Kevin Harris and Terrell Jennings on the practice squad, with one of them likely being elevated. Mayo also mentioned that there could be an activation off the reserve/physically unable to perform list, with linebacker Sione Takitaki progressing well in his second week back at practice.
“He was out there on the show team, and he was also out there with the defense,” Mayo said. “He’s progressed nicely. Takitaki, I would say he has a chance this week.”
New England has problems, but there could be some solutions coming Saturday.