Patriots backfield-by-committee approach keeping RBs fresh

LeGarrette Blount has been in the spotlight recently, and for good reason. The 250 pound bowling ball of a running back has totaled 64 carries for a whopping 431 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 8 touchdowns in his last three games. His physical, bruising style has made him the logical embodiment of the Patriots newfound commitment to the run.

However, while those numbers scream "feature back", Blount is merely one of three rotating running backs in the Patriots stable. The former Buc did his 166 yards and 4 touchdowns worth of damage in only 26 snaps (24 of them being rushing attempts), with Stevan Ridley rotating in with 23 and Shane Vereen playing 24.

It's a backfield-by-committee approach that the Patriots have stuck to all year. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston notes that the snaps have been pretty evenly split between the team's four running backs all year. Stevan Ridley lead the way, playing 28.2% of the snaps, but Vereen (24.7%), Blount (24%) and Brandon Bolden (21.9%) were all close behind.

Of course, there are a lot of variables behind those numbers. Blount's snap counts went up when Stevan Ridley's midseason case of fumblitis placed him firmly in Bill Belichick's doghouse. Vereen missed more than half the season with injuries, leaving Bolden to fill in his role as the team's third down back. It was a nightmare from a fantasy football perspective, particularly if you drafted Ridley in the first round.

Nevertheless, the approach was a reflection of the depth and versatility of the team's running backs. Each back brings a different skill set to the table, and each of them have proven to be productive options when called upon.

According to Stevan Ridley, it's an approach that's paying dividends now in January.

“We all bring so many different aspects to the game and nobody has to take too heavy of a load,” Ridley said in an interview today with Sirius XM NFL radio hosts Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon. “We’re a very unselfish group; we don’t care how it gets done, but when it comes to the running back room, we just want to make sure we get it done. I think that’s helped us going into this postseason, to be fresh and somewhat healthy.”

While Ridley is correct that the backfield by committee approach has helped keep all four backs fresh (Ridley led the backfield with a relatively low 188 touches in the regular season), the biggest advantage from this approach might be coming in-game for the Patriots. After dealing with Blount's battering ram style for a few series, the worn down defense then has to contest with Ridley, who is both fresh and motivated to keep up with Blount's production. Just as both running backs stayed fresh during the regular season, both are able to stay relatively fresh throughout the game, allowing the Pats to wear out the opposing defense.

This tactic was played out to perfection Saturday against the Colts. Blount and Ridley spent the first three quarters churning out hard fought yards. There was nothing spectacular about it; in fact, through three quarters, the Patriots had only 103 yards to show for their 32 attempts (only 3.2 yards per carry) with no gain longer than 9 yards.

Despite this, that supposed "lack of production" served a big role for the Patriots. Not only did those 3 and 2 yard carries consistently keep the Patriots out of third-and-long (11 of their 19 third downs came with 3 yards or less to go, while they faced only four situations of third-and-8 or longer) but they served to wear down the Colts defense. Poor tackling is well-known as a tell tale sign of fatigue, and the Colts tackling suffered in the fourth quarter.

How much did it suffer? The Patriots more than doubled their rushing total for the entire game in the final quarter, with missed tackles springing Blount for big gains of 73 and 30 yards to ice the game. The Patriots wound up with 127 yards on the ground in that quarter, bringing them to 230 yards for the game. It was akin to a boxer wearing out his opponent for 10 rounds before landing a knockout punch in the 11th.

Whether this strategy can continue to work against the Broncos is another story altogether. The Broncos have been good against the run all season, boast a record-setting offense that often allows them to play with a lead (those first two facts are probably inter-related), and just shut down a San Diego running game that propelled their late season run to the playoffs. However, between Blount, Ridley and Vereen, there's no doubt the Patriots have the horses to make a run at them this Sunday. Awful puns intended.