Buffalo Bills: Ranking the running backs in the AFC East
By Rob Spehar
1. New England Patriots: Sony Michel & James White
As the entire sports world knows already, Tom Brady is gone from the New England Patriots and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was evident last season that Brady relied heavily on the running game, probably because of his aging arm and mistrust with his wide receivers. With Brady now gone, the heir apparent looks to be Jarrett Stidham and it remains to be seen how he will run the Patriot offense. But it is safe to say that New England will be relying heavily on Sony Michel and James White.
Sony Michel was the 31st selection made by the Patriots in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Michel has been a productive back for New England in his short career when rushing the ball. Last season he carried the ball 247 times for 912 yards and 7 touchdowns. Catching the ball out of the backfield, though, wasn’t that impressive with only 12 receptions for 94 yards and zero touchdowns.
James White has spent his entire career in a Patriot uniform. He will be most remembered for capping off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history scoring the winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Last season White played in 15 games where he carried the ball 67 times for 263 yards and one touchdown. Although those were not the most impressive numbers he put up on the ground, he is still an essential part to Josh McDaniel’s offense. Just look at his receiving stats in comparison and you can see how important he is with 72 receptions, 645 yards and five touchdowns.
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Looking at the stats for Michel and White, each running back brings a unique skill to their position which is what makes the Patriots offense dangerous. Michel with his rushing ability and White with his pass catching skills. Until we see what things will look like in the post Brady era, these two backs sit at the top of this list.