New England Patriots 2019 player grades: Sony Michel takes a step back

After a stellar rookie season for the New England Patriots, Sony Michel took a step back in 2019.

Last season was a rollercoaster for the New England Patriots. One moment they looked like they would be Super Bowl champions and the next they would look like they were one of the worst teams in the NFL.

One of the reasons for the Patriots’ struggles was the poor play of the offense. The backbone of New England became something that was holding them back.

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The offense as a whole struggled but they could have done a lot better if the Patriots had a running game in 2019. Sony Michel went from Super Bowl hero to a disappointment.

Now when you just look at the stats, it looks like Michel did alright. He had 912 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns.

But the stats that show the true picture are Michel’s yards per attempt (3.7) and yards per game (57). These were both down from his rookie year. Also, Michel had 4 games where he averaged less than 3 yards per attempt.

Throughout the season Michel struggled to rack up yards. He would hit the line of scrimmage and he would just run into a wall. Also, Michel continued to struggle in the red zone.

Michel’s role in the offense will only continue to increase. The Patriots will rely more and more on the run game as Tom Brady gets older. New England needs to have a balanced offense to set up the passing game.

Michel just wasn’t good enough last season. He failed to consistently rack up yards which then affected the entire Patriots offense.

If the Patriots want to be successful in 2020 they will need to have a strong running game. Michel will need to average 4 or 5 yards a carry and have over 1,000 rushing yards.

Sony Michel helped lead the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl in 2018. If the Patriots want to get back there in 2020 they will need Michel to perform well.