After starting training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, Sony Michel is back on the field. Not only is the second-year runner back in action, but he appears to be taking on an expanded role. According to Nora Princiotti of The Boston Globe, Michel spent a portion of Thursday’s practice lined up wide in the passing game. Michel only caught seven passes as a rookie, but adding a pass-catching repertoire to skillset will only add to his value.
Sony Michel has been split out wide a lot today. Wonder if the Patriots want to use him more as a pass catcher this year
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) August 1, 2019
Sony Michel Catching Passes in New England Patriots Offense
In terms of running the football, Sony Michel did everything you could’ve wanted back in 2018. Throughout his 13 regular season games, Michel recorded 209 rushing attempts for 931 yards and six touchdowns. He added on another 336 yards and six touchdowns during New England’s Super Bowl run. These numbers were obviously good, but Michel didn’t play up to his first-round pedigree due to his minimal impact in the passing game.
It’s no secret that passing is far more efficient than running in today’s NFL. Smart teams want to throw the ball early and often, so contributions in the passing game carry more weight than contributions in the run game. Additionally, recent analytic studies have shown that teams do not need to run the ball to set up the pass or set up play action. In short, running the ball doesn’t mean much in 2019, so players who only contribute to the ground game will never provide more than replacement-level production.
From a usage standpoint, the Patriots were astonishingly predictable with Michel. New England called a running play on 80% of his snaps, which is just an absurd rate. A big reason for this is because the Patriots viewed Michel as a wasted body on passing plays. He ended the year with just seven receptions for 50 yards and only caught one pass for nine yards in the playoffs. Quite frankly, Michel needs to do more in the passing game if he’s ever going to come close to justifying his first-round selection.
Reason to Believe in Michel
Michel will always be a good early-down back and he could succeed as a three-down threat. For one, he flashed the ability to do it in college. While he only recorded nine receptions as a Senior, the Georgia product made a decent impact as a pass-catcher early in his collegiate tenure. Michel recorded 48 receptions for 419 yards and four touchdowns during his Sophomore and Junior years, and he looked good doing it. Additionally, Michel held his own in pass protection while at Georgia.
https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/969397537751920641?s=20
The Patriots have a history of slowly integrating their running backs into the passing attack. New England has one of the most complicated schemes in the entire league, and it’s paramount that every player on offense see the field as Tom Brady does. Because of this, the talented running backs of yesterday have struggled to make it on the field as rookies.
Back in 2011, the Patriots drafted Shane Vereen to eventually take over the Kevin Faulk role. However, the rookie couldn’t beat out Danny Woodhead and recorded just eight receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown. The next year, he recorded 47 receptions for 427 yards and three touchdowns. Similarly, James White only recorded five receptions for 23 yards as a rookie. Both players managed to overcome their respective slow starts and develop into key pieces of New England’s passing attack.
It’s hard enough to earn Brady’s trust as a rookie, but Michel never had a real chance. The first-round rookie suffered a knee injury early in 2018’s camp, sidelining him for the entirety of the preseason. The season had already begun by the time Michel made it back on the field, and there was no time for Michel to learn the subtle nuances of the passing game. Perhaps with a full training camp, Michel can become more of a threat in the passing game. He has the raw ability, now he just needs to put that talent on the field.
