The Patriots’ 21-14 loss to the Steelers was devastating. They outgained Pittsburgh 369 total yards to a meager 203, yet still found themselves staring down a defeat that felt… earned. The whole affair was a masterclass in self-destruction, a team-wide case of the dropsies, but one player’s hands held the key to the entire maddening narrative.

The guy, of course, is Rhamondre Stevenson, and his two fumbles against the Steelers didn’t just cost the Pats a win—they forced a conversation no one wanted to have. As sports personality Tom E. Curran, per a recent podcast, put it, “I look at Stevenson and it’s the Patriots’ fault now if he goes out there and fumbles again and puts them in the crosshairs.”

He was talking about a tough, possibly career-altering choice for HC Mike Vrabel, and why the team can’t afford to trust the football to a player whose hands have become a liability. The issue is, this isn’t just a bad day at the office. This is a pattern.

A week ago, Stevenson was cooking, torching the Dolphins for 54 yds on 11 carries and 88 yds on 5 catches. He looked like the centerpiece of this offense. Then came Sunday. He coughed up the football on two of his 4 carries for a paltry 18 yds, effectively benching himself for the rest of the game as TreVeyon Henderson took over with 11 carries for 28 yds.

When a back fumbles twice in a handful of snaps, it’s not a bad day. It’s an indictment of a player who, despite immense talent, has now put the ball on the ground a stunning 5 times since the start of last season.

Vrabel’s problem isn’t just one player

The thing is, the Steelers didn’t just get lucky. They came prepared. It was a strategy. Pittsburgh’s defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who had a Canton-worthy performance, broke down the blueprint after the game. “We practice a lot on our turnover circuits,” Heyward said. “And we knew there were a lot of career fumbles on the other side. We were really locked in on this is a group that turns over the ball.”

The Steelers’ defense had an agenda, and they executed it flawlessly (As Tomlin got punished). Heyward personally killed 2 drives, first with a tipped pass in the end zone that became an INT, and then by stripping Stevenson himself at the goal line. 2 fumbles inside the 2-yard line. The football equivalent of building a perfect sandcastle only to have a single, rogue wave wash it away.

And Stevenson was not alone in his misfortune. QB Drake Maye, for all his flashes of brilliance (28 of 37 for 268 yds and 2 TDs), threw an INT and lost a fumble of his own. Antonio Gibson also added a fumble to the tally. So, yes, it’s a collective failure, Vrabel also pointed towards this WR.

Coach Vrabel was blunt. “We don’t need to lose a football game to know that turnovers are very hard to overcome,” he said. The Pats’ 5 turnovers the most since 2008 became a mountain too tall to climb, even with a massive yardage advantage. The ball kept slipping free, a tangible representation of a team losing its grip on the game, its rhythm, and its confidence.

After the game, Vrabel said he trusts Stevenson and that the team needs him to be a playmaker. But even Stevenson seemed to recognize the precariousness of his position. “If I can’t hold the ball, they don’t need me,” he told reporters. It’s the paradox of a talented player whose biggest asset—his ability to make plays—is being negated by his most glaring flaw.

For Mike Vrabel, this Week 4 game against the Carolina Panthers isn’t just about getting a win and getting to 2-2. It’s about a choice that will set the tone for the season.