Who’s leading the Patriots backfield in Week 1?

The New England Patriots opened the regular season against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday and as always, there was intrigue over who would handle a bulk of the carries out of the backfield. The team notoriously operates with a committee but the two running backs that stood tall out of the preseason were Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Here, we’ll keep track of the Patriots running back production for Week 1.

Patriots RB usage in Week 1 vs. Dolphins

First quarter — Stevenson edged Harris in carries as both got a handful of touches to start the game.

Second quarter — The strip sack of Mac Jones and subsequent fumble return for a touchdown killed the Pats’ momentum and put them in a hole during the second quarter. As a result, Stevenson and Harris only touched the ball a few times during this period..=

Third quarter — Harris began the half taking three handoffs while Stevenson caught one pass on the Pats’ touchdown drive.

Fourth quarter — The Pats had to go pass happy to try to get back into the ballgame.

Harris: Nine carries, 48 yards. Two receptions, 10 yards.

Stevenson: Eight carries, 25 yards. Two receptions, two yards.

Final Snap Count