Stevan Ridley off and running for New England Patriots – ESPN Boston

Ridley had five carries that went for 15 yards or more. No Patriots running back in at least the past 25 years has done that in a single game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Not John Stephens, not Curtis Martin, not Corey Dillon. The big running play had been noticeably absent from New England’s attack for several seasons. BenJarvus Green-Ellis provided a great deal of stability to the running game – he never fumbled and he provided consistent gains in short yardage – but the big play simply wasn’t in his repertoire. In fact, Green-Ellis had just four 15-yard runs all last season – one fewer than Ridley managed in his first game as a primary back.