Analysis

The Patriots indicated that they would bench Stevenson for Antonio Gibson on Saturday and more or less did -- Gibson saw 12 carries to Stevenson's two -- yet they bizarrely had Stevenson open the game as the starter, apparently in a ceremonial capacity. It's not clear what the Patriots meant to accomplish by doing that, but the result either way is that Stevenson has uncertain standing as the Patriots prepare to face the Bills in Week 18. Gibson did well with the workload, running for 63 yards, so it's not obvious what the Patriots mean to do next with Stevenson or/and Gibson.

Analysis

In the wake of his recent fumbling issues, Stevenson is slated to give way to fellow RB Antonio Gibson, at least in terms of Saturday's start. That said, we'd still expect Stevenson to see his share of work versus the Chargers, but his ball security issues of late could lead to Gibson logging a higher percentage of New England's backfield snaps compared to his usual in Week 17.

Analysis

In his first 13 appearances of the season, Stevenson had received more snaps than Gibson in all but two of those contests, but the playing time tilted in Gibson's favor during Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Bills. Stevenson took the field for 32 of New England's 73 plays on offense, finishing with 60 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries to go with a 13-yard reception. However, he lost his third fumble of the season, and he also dropped a backward pass from Drake Maye that was recovered in the end zone by the Bills, although that fumble was charged to the QB. Gibson, meanwhile, paced Patriots running backs with a 59 percent snap share, but he was less effective as a rusher (10 carries for 28 yards) and also fumbled, though he at least recovered it. Even if Mayo follows through and appoints Gibson as the team's starter, Stevenson could still end up being heavily involved in the game plan and seeing the more valuable touches if he keeps his goal-line role. Ball security issues earlier in the season prompted Mayo to hand Gibson a Week 5 start against Miami, but Stevenson still finished with 12 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown to go with four catches in that contest.

Analysis

Stevenson continued to see his workload decrease thanks to more involvement in the offense for Antonio Gibson. However, he took advantage of his opportunities with the ball, highlighted by a pair of 14-yard rushes -- one of which concluded in a trip to the end zone after he bowled over a Buffalo defender. That marked his first touchdown since Week 9. However, those positives were overshadowed by a miscue early in the fourth quarter on a backward pass that was partially mishandled by Stevenson, which was recovered in the end zone for a Bills touchdown. He didn't record another carry in the game, with Gibson instead accounting for the team's two remaining rushing attempts.

Analysis

Stevenson spearheaded the Patriots' rushing attack Sunday, grinding out 85 total yards for fantasy mangers in yet another loss. The Oklahoma product received double-digit carries for sixth time over his last seven appearances while backup Antonio Gibson chipped in seven rushing attempts for 33 yards. Stevenson has quietly posted a decent fantasy campaign (193-740-6) despite being a north-south runner on an 11-loss team. Things won't get any easier for Stevenson and the Patriots as the team heads back to the east coast to face the Bills next Sunday.

Analysis

It was a solid performance from Stevenson, but his numbers would have been even better had Antonio Gibson not vultured a red-zone touchdown on an 11-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. Stevenson has gone seven straight games without reaching 80 rushing yards in a game, and the Patriots' offensive line woes have limited him to a rough 3.1 yards per carry over that stretch. The team's entire offense will get a breather, and a chance to solve some of its issues, over a Week 14 bye.

Analysis

Stevenson's final line underscores how futile his efforts on the ground were, especially considering he gained nine of his yards on one carry. The thoroughly unproductive afternoon featured a season-low rushing yardage total for Stevenson, who'd cleared 70 rushing yards in each of his previous two games. Game script also limited Stevenson's opportunities to a notable degree, but he should have a solid chance of getting back to a normal workload in a Week 13 home matchup against the Colts.

Analysis

Stevenson surpassed 70 rushing yards for the second consecutive game and the fifth time in 10 appearances this season. He isn't much of a contributor in the passing game, but Stevenson usually gets hefty workloads on the ground as long as the 3-8 Patriots aren't getting blown out, as this was the fifth time he recorded at least 20 rushing attempts in a game this season. Stevenson should remain heavily involved in Week 12 against a Dolphins defense that's been more vulnerable on the ground than through the air.

Analysis

After eking out just 82 rushing yards total over the prior three games, Stevenson nearly matched that mark Sunday, although his longest gain went for only 11 yards. However, after scoring four TDs in the last two contests, he failed to get into the end zone this time around. Stevenson's 3.8 yards per carry this season is a career low, but he's already scored a career-high seven touchdowns through nine games while amassing 614 scrimmage yards. He'll try to hit paydirt again in Week 11 against the Rams.