What's next for Rhamondre Stevenson and other storylines to watch in Patriots-Panthers Week 4

The New England Patriots desperately need a win on Sunday when they welcome the Carolina Panthers to Gillette Stadium for a Week 4 showdown. The Patriots have already dropped two home games this season, and can't afford to lose another ahead of a three-game road trip.

Considering the Bills essentially gave the Patriots Week 18 last season, New England's home fans haven't seen a legit win since a 25-22 win over the New York Jets late last October. Rhamondre Stevenson scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Patriots with just 22 seconds left in the game, lifting the Patriots to one of their two home victories in 2024.

Now we're left wondering how much Stevenson will play for Mike Vrabel's Patriots on Sunday, after the running back fumbled twice in last week's 21-14 loss to the Steelers. He wasn't the only one giving away the football during New England's five-turnover loss, but he's had the hottest seat of everyone leading up to this weekend's game.

After playing against his hero in Aaron Rodgers last week, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye gets to play against his hometown team in the Panthers this Sunday. Maye would like it if the Patriots only have to play the Panthers, and not against themselves as well.

"Turnovers in this league are such a big deal. It's one of those things that we can clean up," Maye said Wednesday. "Holding onto the football, me holding on in the pocket and the running backs is something that I do think is fixable. It's something that you try to overemphasize, and usually when you overemphasize things, you fix it."

Here's what we'll be watching for when the Patriots host the Panthers at Gillette Stadium in Week 4.

Will the Patriots hold onto the football?

Two fumbles in a game is inexcusable for a team, let alone for a single player. Four fumbles for a team is downright disgusting, and becomes even more stomach-churning when you add a red-zone interception on top of them. 

So our big question heading into Week 4 is will the Patriots hold onto the football this week, or will they keep coughing it up in embarrassing fashion?

Vrabel made sure to beat the Stevenson drum after last week's loss and again on Monday. But we'll see how confident he is with the veteran running back when Stevenson either takes the field for New England's first possession, or remains on the bench in favor of Antonio Gibson or TreVeyon Henderson.

Ball security is job security, and Stevenson could lose his starting job if he keeps losing the football. He even said after last week's loss he'd understand being benched for his fumblitis. During Wednesday's practice, Henderson took the first running back reps, followed by Gibson and then Stevenson. Gibson got the first carries during Thursday's practice.

On Friday, Vrabel said Stevenson won't be punished for his inability to hold onto the ball last week.

"If you're asking me if Rhamondre on some sort of discipline, no. We need our best players to play in the game, do their job, and take care of the football. We all have to do that," said Vrabel. "Drake had an interception and a fumble, but we're not going to play Josh [Dobbs] right now. We have to fix those things, the people around them have to be better, and I'm confident that we will."

But that doesn't mean Stevenson won't be on a short leash on Sunday. Another early fumble and he could find himself parked on the bench. The Patriots would much rather have him out there making plays, but they can't afford to give the ball away like last weekend.

And we cannot exclude Maye from the team's fumbling issues. He fumbled late last week while trying to do way too much with the ball in his hand when he should have thrown it away or just taken a sack and lived to see another down. That's part of the learning curve with a young QB, and we should get an idea if he learned his lesson against the Panthers.

Maye's interception in the red zone before halftime was also a back-breaker from New England, so let's see if the QB can have another turnover-free day like he did in Miami two weeks ago. The Panthers have five takeaways this season -- four interceptions, one fumble recovery -- which is tied for the fourth-most in the NFL.

More Stefon Diggs in the slot and other changes at receiver?

Stefon Diggs has had a quiet start to his Patriots career, which was to be expected for a player coming off an ACL tear. He's caught 13 of the 15 passes that have gone his way, but Diggs has only played 54 percent of New England's offensive snaps.

It might be time to give Diggs a lot more looks (and targets) to help spark a disappointing receiving corps in New England. He could potentially get some run at slot receiver, which Diggs said he's open to earlier this week.

"I'm not uncomfortable anywhere. It's just wherever they need me," said Diggs. "I have no issues whether it's inside or outside."

Diggs played just over 50% of his snaps in the slot last season with the Texans. If he plays more in the slop on Sunday, Diggs could take playing time away from DeMario Douglas, who has struggled with just five catches on his 13 targets this season.

Douglas also failed to pick up the one yard New England needed on a gotta-have-it fourth-and-1 late against Pittsburgh. Like Stevenson, Douglas may be relegated to the bench or inactive list on Sunday. 

And if the Patriots don't want to put Diggs in the slot just yet, Efton Chism is waiting to make his NFL debut after being inactive the first three weeks. Chism is a natural in the slot and played the majority of his preseason snaps in the position, though he didn't do much work with Maye over the summer.

Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte have been New England's outside receivers, though neither have really broken out yet. Boutte looks like the best pass-catcher on the roster and leads all receivers with 147 yards to go with a touchdown, but he has just nine receptions. Hollins is a very strong blocker, but he only has six receptions for 38 yards through the first three weeks. 

Maybe rookie Kyle Williams, who has played just 26 offensive snaps, is in line for a bigger role as the team's outside receiver. The third-round pick has only been targeted twice, but he's caught both passes Maye has sent his way.

While tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper have been a big help for Maye (Henry has 13 receptions off a team-high 22 targets), the Patriots need something out of their receivers. A little shakeup at the position in Week 4 might get the group going against the Panthers.

The return of Christian Gonzalez

Defensively, the Patriots are set to get a huge boost with the likely return of Christian Gonzalez. The All Pro corner looks poised to return after a second week of practice, and Gonzalez said Wednesday he wanted to play last weekend. But Vrabel and company felt he needed another week.

If the Patriots do indeed get Gonzalez back this weekend, it should do wonders for a New England secondary that has allowed an average of 256.3 passing yards -- third worst in the NFL --  through the first three weeks. Alex Austin filled in for Gonzalez as the team's top corner alongside No. 2 Carlton Davis, and was benched last week after two costly penalties in the first half. 

Gonzalez will probably have some rust to knock off after such a lengthy layoff, but he'll have to do it quickly. He'll likely find himself lined up against rookie Tetairoa McMillan, who has caught 14 passes from Bryce Young for 216 yards to start his NFL career. 

Wild and "dirty" kickoffs from the Panthers

Sports fans old enough to have grown up with D2: The Mighty Ducks know of the famous knuckle puck from Kenan Thompson in the SNL star's first movie role. More than 30 years later, there is a knuckle kick in the NFL, which Carolina placekicker Ryan Fitzgerald has mastered on kick offs.

The odd kickoff has worked wonders for the Panthers. Carolina opponents have the worst starting field position in the NFL, with an average starting spot of their own 21-yard line.

"I sat there and looked at it for two hours last night," Vrabel said Wednesday. "Impressive. They've got good players, they've got great speed. They change the scheme up on you. And so, that'll be critical that we're able to protect the guy with the ball. They're flying. And it starts with the kicker, kicks a good kick, dirty kick."

The official Vrabel definition of a "dirty kick" is: "One that's on the ground in between the 20 and the goal line. Sometimes it one hops and they can return it, sometimes it kicks and goes sideways and we'll have to be prepared for that wherever they kick it."

Gibson's kickoff return touchdown in Week 2 helped propel the Patriots to a win in Miami. It doesn't look like the New England special teams will have an opportunity to make a game-changing return on Sunday, but maybe special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer has a trick of his own up his sleeve.

"They're dangerous," Springer said of the "dirty" kicks. "It has made teams have all sorts of issues on their kick return teams. We've been watching film since Sunday and Monday, trying to prepare the best way we can for it."

The Panthers don't always use the kickoff method, but Springer said they've had success whenever its been utilized.

"We're doing our best to get the guys prepared for it, but it's not easy," said Springer. "Those guys are working their tails off and trying to get it right."

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