Empire Writes Back
Fansided

New England Patriots vs New York Jets: Five Players to Watch

By Nick Ziegler

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets fans celebrate an overtime victory over the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots 26-20 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets fans celebrate an overtime victory over the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots 26-20 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jim O /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
New York Jets
Nov 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi /

LeGarrette Blount

The Patriots have the reputation of being a passing team and for good reason. There is a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball for New England, but that doesn’t mean that they are one-dimensional.

This season, the Patriots have been more committed to running the football, and their workhorse has been LeGarrette Blount. In 2016, Blount has totaled 802 rushing yards, and a ridiculous 12 rushing touchdowns already this season.

Many believed that when Brady returned from his suspension that the Patriots would stop running the ball as frequently. However, Blount continues to get a lot of carries, and he is ranked tied for sixth in the NFL in rushing yards.

Even though the Jets have struggled this season, it is not because of their rushing defense. Despite their struggles, the Jets are ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing defense. Blount is coming off a very nice game against the 49ers, as he totaled 124 rushing yards in the win. While the Jets should be able to keep him under 100 rushing yards, Blount can really hurt them in goal-line situations with his powerful running style.

If the Jets aren’t careful, Blount can hurt them on the ground if they are too focused on stopping Brady.

Home/New York Jets