November 21st, 2014
by Dakota Antelman
For the first time this season, the Patriots had a defined number one running back. Jonas Gray had one of the highest scoring games in years and proved himself capable of handling big time snaps. But then, mere days after Gray’s one man demolition of the Colts, the Patriots complicated the running back picture once again when they signed former player LeGarrett Blount to a two year contract.
Gray, a rookie, came alive verses the Colts. His four touchdowns were the most by any running back in the NFL this season. Beyond that, he rushed for a total of 201 yards on 38 carries; that was also a first for this year’s Patriots running back core.
In the coming days, the overnight sensation was trending on Twitter and dominating both local and national sports headlines. He was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated early this week and had stories about him circulated in the New York Times. More bluntly, a video of teammates chanting his nickname ‘Supreme’ had gone viral by Monday morning.
"I'll probably go home tonight, when we get back around 4 a.m., and just lay in bed, look up at the ceiling and just be astonished at what's going on," Gray said amidst that elated locker room atmosphere after the win. "Just writing a great story."
But at the same time that Gray was writing a great story, Steelers running back LeGarret Blount was erasing one. Controversy had sprung up around Blount angrily leaving the Steelers sideline late in their game vs. the Titans after a dispute with coaches over his playing time.
Though very little was known at the time, it was clear that there was an issue of character within the Pittsburgh locker room. Said issue was addressed swiftly and decisively when, Monday morning, the Steelers announced the release of Blount.
"We believe the decision to release LeGarrette is in the best interest of the organization and wish him the best of luck," said head coach Mike Tomlin in a prepared statement.
Blount had run into trouble with the Steelers before. He had previously expressed displeasure with his receiving sometimes less than 10 carries per game while also getting arrested for Marijuana possession back in August.
From the perspective of a fan, even one who watched Blount blow away the Colts a little less than a year before Gray did the same, Blount did not seem like the kind of player New England should spend its time on. They, a team recently plagued by the legal debacle brought on by Aaron Hernandez and the lesser mess brought on by Alfonzo Dennard’s DUI’s and probation violations, did not seem like one that should pay a guy who just got fired for his behavior.
But alas, the Patriots disregarded Blount’s issues and signed him to a two year deal at minimum salary Thursday afternoon.
Blount was present and practicing at Patriots facilities the next day.
One man who was not was the previously celebrated diamond in the ruff, Gray. He was sent home from Friday’s practice after showing up late. Though the Patriots coaching staff assured the media that the discipline would not affect his Sunday playing time it certainly added insult to injury for Gray.
Furthermore, the absence of Gray and the presence of Blount at Friday’s practice seemed to put a shocking, bow on a week of running back turmoil.
Right now not much is clear about how the Patriots will handle their new depth at running back or how the playing time of Blount and Gray will be managed.
One thing that the Patriots know for sure about Blount though is that he gives the Patriots a proficiency in the return game. He was the king of the kick return in his last stint with the team averaging nearly 30 yards a return in 17 attempts and once logging a stunning 84 yard run back in an explosive season finale win over the Bills.
But beyond the kick return game, Blount and Gray are very similar running backs. They are both powerful players who at the same time possess slick abilities to slip through gaps in defensive lines and then break away from any and all who chase them.
Thus the case could be made that the team should split their playing time, putting Blount on kick return and splitting rushing attempts right down the middle for him and Gray.
Friday at practice however, Bill Belichick seemed to disband any arguments in favor of that approach saying that for the time being, Blount would have to earn every snap he was given.
"That will be up to him, just like everybody else," Belichick said. "When he gets an opportunity, [it's] how much he can take advantage of it, how much he can be productive and what he can do with those opportunities [that] will determine how many more there are. It's totally up to him.”
Blount seemed to also understand that Belichick was putting his foot down and would not tolerate any of the playing time complaints that he assembled down in Pittsburgh.
"Bill is a straight-forward shooter, he's a 100 percent honest person," he said. "I truly believe that if I do what I have to do, then I'll make myself a role on this team. Whatever I have to do, I'm going to do it to be productive."
If Blount can be what he was when he rushed for 166 yards in the 2013 Divisional Playoff game for the Patriots, than they will be in possession of one of the strongest run games in football. But if he cannot than they will be in big trouble.
In short the Pariots have been indecisive in the run game for much of the season. This Blount signing, just a few days after Gray emerged as apparent king of the masses, was an example of that indecision at its most obvious.
It seemed to hint that the Patriots might not trust Gray as a number one back. After the great confidence boost that he was given by Sunday’s excellence, his team undermining him and bringing in this guy to breathe down his neck could do more harm than good. That could be shown as soon as Sunday when the Patriots face the Lions at home.
To keep that from happening, the Patriots need to let Gray defend his statistics with another day of starting reps. After a performance as historic as the one that he put up last Sunday, he does not deserve to fade back into the pot of talented Patriots running backs.
0 comments:
Post a Comment