New England Patriots: Sony Michel adds new dimension to offensive attack
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady reached a prestigious milestone Thursday, but the ground attack will help him sustain success this season.
Headlines focusing on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady‘s 500th touchdown pass will show up in a majority of stories written Friday.
It’s an extraordinary accomplishment that deserves mention, and the 41-year-old signal-caller made sure to credit his team during Thursday’s postgame presser, per Patriots.com.
“I just think of all the people who have really worked hard. A quarterback doesn’t throw them to himself,” Brady said. “He needs people to catch, and block, and the defense to make plays, and coaches to coach. These are all great team awards.”
It’s a humble response to a milestone only three players have reached in NFL history. Brady understands how the offense works within the big picture, not in a vacuum. This year, Brady’s passing lanes should widen a little more so than last year. It’s not entirely because of wide receiver Julian Edelman‘s full return to action or Josh Gordon‘s arrival.
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New England could have another running back eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for the season. The added dimension forces weaker run defenses to load the box anticipating 25-30 handoffs to a ball-carrier who log four-to-five yards per carry.
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During the offseason, it seemed the Patriots would rely on a running back committee approach. The front office signed Jeremy Hill, retained Rex Burkhead and James White and selected Sony Michel in the first round of the draft.
Injuries landed Hill (knee) and Burkhead (neck) on injured reserve. White has flourished in a receiving role out of the backfield. He led the team in receptions (10) and targets (14) in Thursday’s 38-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Michel has quickly put a stronghold on the lead ball-carrier role.
The rookie first-rounder came two yards shy of consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. In Week 4, he logged 112 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries then followed with 98 yards and a score on the ground against the Colts.
In 2017, the Patriots finished 10th in rushing yards, and none of their ball-carriers recorded more than 180 rush attempts. Based on White’s expertise as a receiver and Michel’s workload over the last two contests — 43 carries — it’s not farfetched to think he’s going hit the 200-mark.
Two years ago, LeGarrette Blount handled the majority carries (299) for a 14-2 team that ranked seventh in rushing yards. The front office’s decision to select a running back in the first round and the injuries at the position suggests Michel will serve as the primary asset in the backfield to complement Brady’s arm this season.
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Head coach Bill Belichick will likely continue to base player usage on week-to-week matchups, but we can also expect Michel to add a workhorse dimension to the rushing offense. Dion Lewis logged 20-plus carries twice last season in the final two regular-season games. The first-year Georgia product should have at least a handful of such performances, already having one under his belt.
Aside from Brady, defensive coordinators will have to spend more time game-planning for this offense because of the rookie running back lining up in the backfield.