New England Patriots: 5 players who need to step up post-Tom Brady
By Sam Minton
Sony Michel
Last season was a disaster for Sony Michel. After an impressive rookie season that ended with Michel being a major reason New England won the Super Bowl, He took a step back.
Michel did put up similar numbers to his rookie season but one stat shows why it was so disappointing.
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Anyone with eyes saw how Michel continued to get stuffed at the line. He rarely broke off for big gains and more routinely was only gaining a yard or two. Michel averaged less than 4 yards a carry. It’s hard to move the ball when your runningback is putting up those numbers.
This season we will see Michel get the ball more. The Patriots offense will be much more balanced. The days of throwing the ball 60-70 percent of the time are long gone. Expect Michel to carry the ball 20 times a game at the minimum.
If Michel is getting stuck at the line again the Patriots offense will be in trouble. You could even see Rex Burkhead take over the starting job.
So in 2020, we need to see a much improved Sony Michel running the ball.