New England Patriots: 5 Bold predictions for the 2020 season
4. New England will be more run-heavy than ever
One thing that has been consistent over the last few years has been New England’s rushing attack that is led by the solid duo of James White and Sony Michel.
In the past few seasons, White and Michel have led a group that has been more of a duel-threat unit, proving they can both run the ball and catch it out of the backfield no matter who is taking the field at quarterback.
In 2020, that will continue to be the case as White, Michel and company will continue to thrive within the Patriots offense. And with a new quarterback under center other than Tom Brady this season and beyond, New England might rely even more on its running backs while being more run-heavy than we’ve seen previously.
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 2019 during his sophomore campaign, Michel dealt with some consistency issues in New England while appearing in all 16 games during the year. Michel did manage to finish the year with a career-high 247 rush attempts and seven touchdowns, along with 912 yards on the ground. He also caught for a career-high 94 yards on 12 receptions in the passing game.
With a new quarterback taking the field for Bill Belichick and company and plenty of unknowns surrounding the team and the personnel slated to start for the Patriots, they will likely rely upon their running game early and often throughout the new year.