Patriots Gridiron News: Sony Michel could run all over the Kansas City Chiefs

How to stop the Kansas City Chiefs offense?  Keep the ball out of their hands, which is something the New England Patriots are primed to do.

Sunday night’s Week 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and undefeated Kansas City Chiefs could very well be an offensive track meet. Or, it could be a game where the running backs dominate the game on both sides.

That’s where Patriots rookie running back Sony Michel comes in.

Given the offensive weapons both teams have, along with both defenses struggling to find their way, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes II could make some history on Sunday Night Football. That would be the expected, but seldom does it go that way.

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Therefore, expect both teams to attempt to keep the ball out of the other quarterback’s hands by featuring the running game.  This could be more important for the New England Patriots given Kansas City’s struggles against the run this season.

Despite setting the world on fire offensively, the Chiefs rank last in rushing yards per attempt, giving up 5.8 yards per carry.  They also rank 31st in pass defense, which will tempt the Patriots to go air, but establishing the run in this one may be the best defense against Mahomes and that high-octane offense.

In rushing for 210 yards in his last two games, Michel could get a heavy dose of action early on.  Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has called the rookies name a lot the past few weeks, which will have him ready for a game just like this.  It will also have him ready physically.  McDaniels praised that physicality at the beginning of the week.

"“Sony’s a tough kid – runs hard, certainly willing to engage in contact, and he was at Georgia, like the way he finishes runs and he’s a tough guy to bring down,” McDaniels said Monday during his weekly conference call. “So, his run style, I think, fits what we try to do here, and hopefully he’ll continue to improve and get better and make progress as we go forward. But, I think we’ve seen some decent things from him here in the first few weeks that he’s been up and active, and we’ll continue to try to work hard to get better.”"

Despite the praise, Sony Michel is not satisfied with his improvement on the field.  He knows he still has some work to do to be the player he knows he can be.  Sunday night against the best team in the AFC right now would finally give Michel some recognition as an offensive weapon.

If he thrives this week, the New England Patriots rookie will certainly get the NFL’s attention and will make Tom Brady and the aerial attack just that much more effective given Brady’s play-action skills.

Sony Michel learning from James White

A major part of Sony Michel’s progress over the last few weeks is what he has picked up from veteran running back James White.

Speaking to the media Wednesday, Michel said he has learned a lot from White.  From how he adjusts within each game to how he conducts himself in practice, the rookie has asked questions and used his mentor to learn the game.

James White, in turn, has also praised where the 23-year-old rookie is at in his game.

"“He’s getting better and better,” White said, as transcribed by NESN.  “The more he gets out there, the better he gets, so the more reps he’s getting, he’s becoming a better player.  He’s trying to learn as much as he can, and he’s working extremely hard.  So, he’s been a good player for us.”"

Injury report

The New England Patriots had everyone in attendance on the practice field on Wednesday, but had several players listed as limited, including Sony Michel.

Michel is listed as limited due to his knee, which is worth watching.  The rookie running back missed the entire preseason due to a knee injury.  Others on the list include DT Malcom Brown, WR Josh Gordon, DE Geneo Grissom, TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Chris Hogan, CB Eric Rowe, DT Danny Shelton and DE John Simon.