FOXBOROUGH -- Sony Michel's season has been a major topic of discussion through eight games.
After averaging 4.5 yards per attempt last season, he's only averaging 3.3 yards per attempt this season. Michel has 140 carries for 464 yards and six touchdowns on the year, and then only six receptions for 51 yards.
Bill Belichick always talks about players making a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2, but that just hasn't seemed to have been there through the first half of the season. Of course, there are a lot of factors in play, including the play of the offensive line, but the numbers just have not been there so far.
On Monday, running backs coach Ivan Fears was asked to assess Michel's play this season.
“I’m happy he’s still alive,” Fears said. “I’m happy he’s doing a great job. He’s still pretty healthy. He’s playing well, in my mind. He’s doing a lot of good things, and like everybody, he’s got his moments that he’s hurting us. He’s making a mistake too. He’s got to correct those mistakes, be a little bit more consistent in the things he’s doing which will fit in with what everybody else is doing. And hopefully, we’ll be more productive overall.
“But I thought he ran hard this weekend. He was running the ball well. The good news for us is Josh (McDaniels) is continually calling the run game, giving us a chance, and that’s keeping us a little bit balanced. You want it to be more productive, but at least we’re balanced right now. And we’ve got to keep that up.”
Fears also noted an uptick of negative plays.
“That’s part of Sony, his decisions,” Fears said. “He can’t take a chance and say, ‘I’ll bounce this thing’ or go east and west all day. He’s got to frigging get downhill. Nothing there, get downhill and run through somebody and let’s go. All of that’s part of it.”
While there's clearly been some good and bad, overall Fears seems pleased with his second-year back.
"I’m very happy with Sony,” he said. “Let’s put it that way. I’m very happy with Sony. I’ll leave it there.”
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