Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Tahj Brooks

Monday, January 26, 10:58 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson took on a workhorse role in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, recording 71 rushing yards on 25 carries. While Stevenson averaged a highly inefficient 2.8 yards per touch for the game, he was still a crucial piece in helping New England game-manage its way to a victory in snowy conditions in Denver. The Patriots finished the game with just 206 yards of total offense, so Stevenson accounted for over a third of his team's output. Stevenson also appears to have completely taken over the lead role in New England's backfield from rookie back TreVeyon Henderson. After playing over 60% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in each of their first two postseason games, Stevenson played 94% of the team's snaps against Denver. Both New England backs now face a difficult matchup in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7). Still, Stevenson appears better positioned than Henderson to take on a high-volume role and should have his chances for production.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:58 AM

Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Tahj Brooks has totalled just 45 yards on 16 carries to go with one catch for nine yards on two targets in 15 games this season. Brooks has been firmly entrenched as the Bengals' RB3 behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine for his entire rookie campaign, relegating him mostly to special teams duties. The rookie sixth-rounder has cracked a double-digit snap share in just four games this season. However, seven of his 16 carries have come in the past two games, with the Bengals eliminated from playoff contention. With Brown posting big numbers in recent weeks and Perine continuing to be a reliable veteran on passing downs, it will be tough for Brooks to see many more opportunities in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Cleveland Browns.