Under the radar Patriots player is thriving after bold position switch

"McDaniels and Vrabel have one thing in common with their past: they love to run the football. The Patriots haven't run the ball as well as fans might have hoped, with Rhamondre Stevenson averaging just 3.4 yards per carry and the rushing offense 17th in the league. For a team that ranked 14th in rushing last season, this reality is somewhat disappointing."

"Nonetheless, things have started to turn around over the last few weeks, as the top three rushing performances have come over the past three games. The major change? Fullback Jack Westover's uptick in snaps. Over the first six weeks, the Patriots didn't deploy him for more than 23% of snaps in any single game. He's exceeded that percentage each of the past three weeks, playing 46% of snaps against Atlanta this past week."

"The Patriots' run game has been night-and-day better over the past three weeks. Over the first six games, Stevenson's Week 2 54-yard performance was the best rushing total the Patriots recorded. In three weeks, the Patriots' top rusher totaled less than 30 yards, a dismal stat. Stevenson's 88-yard game against the Titans, followed by Henderson's 75 and 55-yard games against the Browns and Falcons, are the best totals yet."

Mike Vrabel became head coach and brought in Terrell Williams as defensive coordinator and Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator. The offense retained a heavy run emphasis but early results lagged, with Rhamondre Stevenson averaging 3.4 yards per carry and the rushing offense ranking 17th. The top three rushing outputs arrived in the last three games, coinciding with a spike in snaps for fullback Jack Westover. Westover played no more than 23% of snaps in any of the first six weeks, then exceeded that in each of the past three games, including 46% versus Atlanta. Westover spent six years at Washington, had a preseason stint with Seattle, joined New England's practice squad in October 2024, and was elevated to the active roster late in the season. He competed for the TE3 role against Jahiem B.

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