No Brady Means the Offense Must Go Through Someone

Tom Brady was the face of the franchise and the cornerstone of the Patriots dynasty. Losing him is going to hurt and necessitate huge changes throughout the organization. No matter who lines up under center in 2020 they are not going to be asked or expected to sling it like Tom. This fundamental change in the Patriots identity means that plays are going to be up for grabs.

This is good news for Sony Michel. Having been with the franchise for 2 years he knows what it takes to win in the NFL. He has also performed at a high level that has made him valuable for Belichick to use consistently. Now that there are more targets up for grabs, expect Michel to get more opportunities to rush the ball.

Last year Michel saw his usage increase, only to see his yards per attempt go down from 4.5 to 3.7. This year the Patriots will need to continue grinding the offense out on the ground and giving Michel even more rushing opportunities.

With an offseason for the offensive line to really shore up their running concepts, Michel could see that yards per attempt number increase while also adding additional carries. Michel could end up being the go-to player on offense.