The Patriots’ chances of making the postseason are still alive after a last-second field goal gave them an upset win vs the Cardinals. We break down where their playoffs chances stand now with five games remaining.
When's the last time a New England Patriots player led the NFL in rushing touchdowns? LeGarrette Blount certainly can tell you.
The former running back had a stellar 2016 campaign for New England, rushing for 1,161 yards and an NFL-high 18 touchdowns to help the Patriots cruise to a 14-2 record and an eventual Super Bowl title.
Perhaps Blount had 2016 on the mind Tuesday when he made this bold statement to ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee:
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SIGN UP HERE "If you've got a nice running back, (teams) think that in the next couple years, there might be another nice running back like you," Blount told McAfee.
"To this day I don't think the Eagles have been able to replace me, and to this day I don't think the Patriots have been able to replace me."
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It's understandable why Blount thinks running backs are undervalued. He made just $1 million during that 2016 campaign with New England and joined Philadelphia on a humble $1.25 million contract in 2017 despite his recent success.
We're not faulting Blount for being confident in his abilities, either. But we'd also like to introduce him to Sony Michel and Damien Harris.
Michel racked up a team-high 931 rushing yards for the Patriots in 2018 as New England finished with the NFL's fifth-best rushing offense. (It finished seventh with Blount in 2016.) The rookie also added six touchdowns in three postseason games to power the Patriots' run to Super Bowl LIII.
Harris, meanwhile, is averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season (Blount's best mark in New England was 4.3) and appears to be the running back of the future -- at least until a younger rusher with fresher legs comes along.
Despite Blount's objections, that's the unfortunate reality of life for an NFL running back: The Eagles have handed their backfield keys to Miles Sanders but haven't had a consistent franchise back since LeSean McCoy six years ago.
It may take Harris leading the NFL in rushing TDs to change Blount's mind, however.