New England Patriots: 5 observations from ‘lights out’ win over Chargers

Michel showed he’s a Bulldog

All season long, the maturity and effectiveness of rookie running back Sony Michel was praised.

On Sunday, the New England Patriots running back showed that he is a big game performer who is capable of impacting a football game.

Channeling his days at the University of Georgia, Michel was simply outstanding in this game.  With three rushing touchdowns and over 100 yards rushing in the first half alone, the 2018 first-round pick ran all over the Los Angeles Chargers with a combination of power and speed.

Take a look at this 40-yard run in the second quarter of the game:

In what led to the fourth touchdown of the game, Michel’s big-play ability really shined. While much of his running in Sunday’s game can be credited to the offensive line play, picking the right hole and taking advantage of that blocking is all Sony Michel which he summed up as concentration.

"“It’s all about concentration and the coach is going to call the best plays possible for us to succeed,” Michel said, via The Boston Herald.  “Guys are going to take pride in executing plays and everybody doing their jobs allows us to do our jobs and the guys did a great job doing it.”"

The New England Patriots are a team that doesn’t usually lean on rookies, but they are doing to need a lot of Sony Michel against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.