The Patriots’ 24-6 win over the Panthers came with a cost — injuries to their running backs.
New England’s backs combined for 220 of the 273 total yards on the day, but saw Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson leave the game in the second half because of head injuries.
The return timeline on these players is so hard to predict. Some players clear the concussion protocol quickly and don’t miss any time at all, while others are forced to miss several weeks like the Patriots have seen with cornerback Shaun Wade this year and Carl Davis last year.
With that being said, the Patriots may need to prepare to be without Harris and/or Stevenson for the short-term.
Brandon Bolden was the only healthy running back to finish the game and then J.J. Taylor was a healthy scratch. There are no backs on the practice squad, so the Patriots may need to look outside the organization and add a player for the time being.
Some veteran running backs available include Todd Gurley, T.J. Yeldon, Alfred Morris, Kenyon Barner and Chris Thompson.
If the injuries to Stevenson and Harris aren’t too severe, the Patriots could look to piece it together against the Browns this week and not add anyone to the roster, besides maybe a lesser name to the practice squad in case of emergency.
Cleveland is allowing just 3.5 yards per rushing attempt, which is the second-best mark in the league, so maybe the Patriots won’t look to run the ball much and could get away with not having much depth at the position.
These injuries do illustrate how much depth is needed at the running back position over the course of a season, which was part of why many were not in favor of trading away Sony Michel during training camp. James White’s season-ending hip injury is also factoring into things as well.
As of Monday morning there have been no updates on Harris or Stevenson.
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