Three’s Company: Analyzing the New England Patriots Backfield

The Patriots acquired LeGarrette Blount for the second time the same way some of us shop for TVs and cars: if you see something you like, wait till it’s cheaper, then buy it later.  Dads everywhere would be proud.

Shopping jokes notwithstanding, everyone’s first question when Blount got signed today was “Why sign Blount when wunderkind Jonas Gray punched the Colts in the mouth last week?”. With the corresponding roster move being a cut to rookie DL Casey Walker, it’s clear that the Patriots have plans that involve all of the running backs on their roster. Nobody knows what kind of dark sorcery Belichick and McDaniels have in mind, but for now, we can speculate, which is infinitely more fun for everyone right now.

(Editor’s note: since RB Brandon Bolden is primarily a special teams player, he’s not included in most of the rest of this.)

First off, as I wrote about at length last week, ESPN Stats and Info crunched the numbers and found out that when Tom Brady’s got two skill position players in the backfield, the Patriots have the best completion percentage in the NFL and in first downs per passing attempt. This could be as simple as a fullback like James Develin and halfback like Jonas Gray lining up in the I-formation, or both guys running flat routes, or faking the run and then tossing to Shane Vereen, or as complicated as the Patriots want to make it. One possibility: with James Develin’s sledgehammer blocks opening holes for running backs, if you’re a linebacker, or worse, a defensive back, imagine seeing a 6’3’’ 251lb fullback (Develin) running out to block, and behind him, picking up steam, is 6’0’’ 250lb LeGarrette Blount. That’s enough freight-train power to make defenses gulp. Another option with a 2-back set could be blocking for Shane Vereen on backfield passes, like screens and checkdowns and such.

In a statement that’s sure to drive fantasy owners nuts, Blount’s carries are also going to vary (duh) pretty tremendously based on opponents. The Patriots shoved the run game down Indianapolis’s throat because the Colts run defense is, um, below average to begin with. (Grantland’s Robert Mays aptly described that strategy as “Belichick has become that (expletive) who’s found one unstoppable Mortal Kombat move and refuses to do anything else”). Playoff defenses are rarely turnstiles like that. Super Bowl defenses are almost never like that. Heck, every other AFC East team isn’t like that. But, as they say, you have to run to set up the pass, and Blount’s ace in the hole is that he’s really, really tough to bring down without him gaining at least a couple yards by churning his legs. And, according to Captain Obvious, third-and-short is much more manageable than third-and-long, always.

Blount also started returning kicks for New England last year, and the reason was simple. Ball security. A 50-yard return is no good if the returner coughs up the rock after getting tackled, and Blount’s been a reliable returner his entire career. Bonus – this kind of role would hopefully also keep part-time returner Danny Amendola from getting injured again. Not like I’m recommending putting Amendola in a glass case or anything, but especially if this thigh injury Julian Edelman recently suffered is more serious than we thought, or if something happens down the stretch, Danny doesn’t need to be absorbing huge hits on kick/punt returns.

Finally, consider the most obvious benefit to having LeGarrette Blount on gameday.

Football is a hard game. People get tired.

That’s oversimplifying things a tad, but seriously – how well do you think Jonas Gray slept after getting 37 carries and 201 yards during his single-handed demolition of the Colts last weekend? People talk all the time about defenses getting tired, but getting some fresh legs at different points in the game could be the key to crashing into the end zone or grinding out those after-contact yards, and if you watched 1999 Super Bowl, I sure don’t need to tell you how important one yard can be.

And really, who doesn’t want to see more touchdown dances like this?