After Ty Montgomery landed on injured reserve after the Patriots' Week 1 loss to the Dolphins, it looked like rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. might be about to have his Rhamondre Stevenson moment: a chance to seize a bigger role with more opportunity early in the season.
But that didn't materialize in Week 2 against the Steelers as Strong played just three offensive snaps -- all of them in "victory" formation at the end of the game. The fourth-round pick did manage to return two kicks for 48 yards, though.
At least one Twitter user, @mikewichter, wants to see more of the dynamic rookie running back:
The first gut reaction is…we probably won't.
For one thing, there aren't a ton of snaps to go around with Damien Harris and Stevenson, who has taken on more work in the passing game, sitting on the depth chart in front of him.
Also, Strong started a bit slow in training camp and preseason (injury issues) and didn't get to build as much momentum going into the season as Stevenson did last year. Though he's earned some trust in the kicking game thus far, he probably still needs to ramp up before the Patriots truly feel comfortable playing him much on offense.
With time, he'll probably earn a carry or two here or there to see how he responds, which could of course happen as soon as this week. His speed and big-play ability are obviously attractive to the Patriots long-term.
But as for him earning a more consistent offense role right now, that's probably a tough ask. Then again, a big play or two on special teams could perhaps convince the coaches to see what he can do on a handoff.
