Sony Michel cleans up in Patriots rout of Jets

Editor’s update: Michel left the game late in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a minor injury. A defensive tackle landed on him after a run and Michel needed a few minutes to get up. He was able to jog off however. He finished the game with 19 rushes for 42 yards and his three touchdowns, along with one reception for a loss of eight yards.

Entering Week 7, the 2019 season has been a slog for New England Patriots running back Sony Michel. He was averaging 3.5 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns in the Patriots first six games. His average is not getting a boost on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets, but he is finding pay dirt. Michel has rushed for three touchdowns as the Patriots run the Jets out of the building at MetLife Stadium.

Michel only has 43 yards on 17 carries as of this article publishing, but he’s getting the red zone work. Tom Brady has done useful work getting the Patriots into the red zone, but the Sam Darnold has done just as much. He’s thrown four interceptions, lost a fumble, and batted away a ball for a safety — all of which helped the Patriots in the field position battle. Brady did not need a huge game, and Michel was the beneficiary when the Patriots got into goal-to-go situations. He has a three-yard touchdown and two one-yard touchdowns on the night.

This is not an ideal performance for projecting more, but it does at least show the Patriots still have confidence in the running back for the time being. Of course, when Rex Burkhead returns from his foot injury, it will be interesting to see who gets what work in the ground game. James White is the primary guy in the passing game while Michel is the primary ground guy. Burkhead bridges the gap between the two and will eat into both of their workloads.