New England Patriots: Brandon Bolden a golden contributor on offense

When it comes to the New England Patriots running back depth chart, Brandon Bolden was just the special teams ace low on that list behind Damien Harris, James White, J.J. Taylor and 2021 fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson, but ball security issues and a season-ending injury to White has the veteran RB playing a key role in the offense.

As much as fans wonder why Bolden continues to make the squad, his versatility and reliability on the field shows just why Bill Belichick loves the dude and the way he has stepped in and filled the void left by White, Patriots fans must respect him.

New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden does a lot of things well

No, he is not flashy, but he runs with power when he gets the ball, and he has been an option in the passing game for Mac Jones.  So far this season, Bolden has hauled in 20 catches for 162 yards.

In all, he is putting in a solid season and whether fans want to admit it or not, he is a reason the offense has been improving.  Not only does he produce when his name is called, he is a very coachable player willing to do whatever the coaches ask him to do.

Perhaps that is why New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels calls his name on those third-and-short plays that has driven fans crazy because they have been unsuccessful.  Those calls are more on McDaniels and less on the player who has done everything else well.

"“Brandon’s one of my favorite guys that I’ve had a chance to coach,” McDaniels said during his press conference earlier in the week, via Patriots.com. “You talk about unselfish teammates that are always prepared and ready to go, that kind of defines Brandon. He obviously plays an incredibly important role for us in the kicking game in all four phases. He’s out there on every special teams snap… covering, tackling, blocking, protecting the punter. You name it, he does it. He’s returned kickoffs for us before, he’s blocked punts. And now here he is, you need him to come in and fill a critical role for your team in terms of blocking blitzes, and helping protect on the edge or catching the ball out of the backfield or being handed the ball on some critical plays. He’s always up to the challenge.”"

In all, it is Bolden’s ability to pick up the blitz that has made him valuable in the Patriots’ offense this season.  Both Stevenson and Taylor have not only had ball security issues but have missed assignments in pass protection.  That is more on the inexperience of those players, which has propelled Brandon Bolden into a more prominent role that should be tested in Week 9 against a very fast and aggressive Carolina Panthers defense.

With emphasis on offensive line play, Mac Jones will still have to get the ball out fast and Bolden will be featured as a quick check down option in the very way James White was used in those types of situations.

He’s ready for the challenge and knows execution will be key in slowing down that Panthers’ defense.

"“It’s going to come down to execution, it’s going to come down to finishing,” Bolden said. “It’s going to come down to us actually doing what we need to do each and every play.”"

It could turn out to be one of those sneaky big games for Bolden as the New England Patriots will look to get the ball out quick and probably design a few screenplays in hopes of taking advantage of the aggressiveness of the Panthers defenders.

As the New England Patriots look to go above .500 on the season, expect another golden performance from the veteran running back who continues to do a little bit of everything for the team.