New England Patriots: Top 3 targets on offense in 2020

New England Patriots No. 2 offensive target: James White

Another player worth keeping an eye on in both the running game and in the passing attack once again this season is Patriots running back James White. Although White is a running back, he has mostly been utilized as a constant threat in the passing game out of the backfield in the past few seasons.

Part of the reason for White being relied upon in the pass attack through the air has been due to New England’s lack of firepower or constant production out of its wide receiving unit, which was especially the case during the 2019 campaign.

Regardless, White has shown the ability to be a really solid dual-threat running back and can take a game over both with his legs or through the air, which keeps defenses guessing throughout the course of a game. Although a new quarterback will take over under center in 2020, there’s no reason to believe White won’t have a similar season to what we’ve seen out of him in the past.

A year ago, the Patriots ground game led by White and teammate Sony Michel combined to finished with 1,703 rushing yards, which ranked 18th in the NFL. New England’s running attack finished with a total of 447 rushing attempts (ninth in the NFL) and 17 rushing touchdowns (10th in the league).

When it comes to White solely, the 28-year-old running back tallied 263 yards and one touchdown on 67 carries in the rushing attack, but was much more effective in the passing game with 72 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns through the air. That has been a trend that has carried into each season for basically the last five years.

In 2020, as White enters his seventh season in the NFL and with the Patriots, he will continue to be a top target on the offensive side of the ball and will boost both the ground game and the receiving unit throughout the year.