New England Patriots on Stevan Ridley – ‘We’re going to need him’
By Bryan Rose
After New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley found himself planted on the bench Sunday afternoon, whispers began to circulate.
Was it the end for Ridley, just snaps into the 2013 season? Not hardly, though, with the solid play of Shane Vereen, it was possible Ridley could have seen his role reduced.
That seems unlikely now though as Vereen will be out for the next few months with a fractured wrist and the Patriots don’t exactly have a ton of options behind Ridley, something head coach Bill Belichick knows quite well.
Hoping to give the down and out running back a bit of extra confidence, the Patriots coach suggested the team is going to need him and that he expects him to have a good season.
Per ESPN Boston:
"During his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI this week, coach Bill Belichick said he spoke directly with Ridley and “There’s no problem there.”He also said: “Stevan’s a good player. I thought he ran hard. We have a long way to go. We’re going to need him. I’m sure he’ll contribute a lot for us this year.”The injury situation at running back is also a factor to consider in Ridley’s potential playing time."