New England Patriots: Running Back Chris Ivory a Great Option
By Nick Ziegler
The New England Patriots will have a busy offseason ahead of them, as they will attempt to get a step further than the AFC Championship Game.
Even though Tom Brady isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, one has to imagine that he is eventually going to see his skills diminish. The New England Patriots have been a dynasty ever since Brady took over as the quarterback, as their record in the regular season and playoffs speaks for itself. With Brady getting older, the pressure on the Patriots to win now grows after every season.
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Throughout the regular season, the Patriots’ offense was one of the best in the league, as even with injuries to their wide receivers and superstar tight end, the Patriots’ passing attack was able to overcome it all.
Against the Denver Broncos, however, that passing attack wasn’t enough to get the job done. In the loss to the Broncos, Brady totaled 310 passing yards in the game, but it was not easy for him at all. The Broncos were able to dismantle the Patriots’ offensive line, and with no threat of a running game, Brady was a sitting duck.
During the regular season, the Broncos had one of the best running defenses in the NFL, and that remained true in the AFC Championship Game. As a team, the Patriots totaled 44 rushing yards, and Brady was the team’s leading rusher with 13 rushing yards.
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The lack of a running game for the Patriots was a new development for the Patriots, who were one of the worst rushing offenses in the NFL this season.
Even though the Patriots have Brady and a dominant passing offense in a pass-oriented league, they still need to have a respectable running game next season. With free agency almost here, one player that would be an excellent fit for the Patriots is New York Jets’ running back, Chris Ivory.
After a few injury-plagued seasons to start his career in New Orleans, Ivory really emerged as a talented running back with the Jets in 2013. In his first season with the Jets, Ivory totaled 833 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and a 4.6 yards per carry average. Ivory was able to stay relatively healthy again in 2014, as he totaled 821 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Last season, Ivory took on a much bigger workload for the Jets as their premier running back. Ivory totaled 247 carries and led the AFC in rushing with 1,070 rushing yards. Ivory isn’t best suited to be a workhorse, but with news that Dion Lewis is expected to be back for Week 1, the Patriots could have a lethal combo in the backfield.
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Before he tore his ACL, Lewis was proving to be an exceptional receiver out of the backfield, which is something that is limited in Ivory’s game. Lewis totaled 36 receptions and 388 receiving yards in just seven games last season, as he and Ivory would compliment each other beautifully.
The Patriots certainly need to improve their running game in 2016, and Ivory is one of the free agent running backs that would be a nice fit for them.