Patriots Used Committee Approach at Fullback to Keep Run Game Alive vs Jets
After fullbacks James Develin and Jakob Johnson landed on injured reserve, it was uncertain how the New England Patriots would approach the absence of a true FB in their offensive arsenal. Their offensive line has been dealing with its fair share of injuries and poor play this season, so having a fullback that can lead the way in the run game seemed like a necessary piece if they were to continue having a steady balance on offense.
Lo and behold, during New England's blowout win over the New York Jets in Week 7, the Patriots displayed their solution to the fullback position. The funny thing is, it didn't come in the form of a single player. It came in the form of four players.
Tight ends Benjamin Watson and Eric Tomlinson, linebacker Elandon Roberts and offensive lineman James Ferentz each played snaps at fullback during the Patriots' 33-0 win over New York in Week 7. The indirect result - New England rushed for 74 yards and Sony Michel had three touchdowns on the ground, marking the second time in his career he has done such. Each of the touchdowns Michel scored came behind the blocks of one of those aforementioned players, which shows the importance of having a fullback in their offense in short-yardage situations.
Elandon Roberts, who claimed during his conversation with ESPN's Mike Reiss after the game that he hasn't played an offensive snap of football since preschool, said the decision was made during the week to give Roberts snaps at fullback vs the Jets, along with his regular role on defense. As Roberts mentions in the conversation, fullbacks and linebackers have similar body types, which may be why he was asked by the coaching staff to play a new position.
The use of four players at FB was simple: 1) They wanted to split the reps between players because those players have responsibilities at other positions 2) The run plays that require more of an athletic block (toss plays, crack back blocks, etc) are when Watson and Tomlinson were used, meanwhile Roberts and Ferentz were used in short-yardage, power plays that required straight-ahead blocking.
Since New England would have to free up a roster spot if they wanted to bring another fullback on board, they may resort to a committee approach at the position for the reminder of the season, unless they choose Develin as one of the players to activate from IR when he is eligible. So for the time being, get used to seeing some odd numbers blocking for Michel and company in the run game.
