Is Shane Vereen legit?

(Winslow Townson – USA TODAY Sports)

Was Shane Vereen's Thursday night performance a preview of more to come as him as the feature back, or a fluke?

Yeah he had a great performance, and without a doubt we would have lost the game without him on the field, but to say he is the answer to replacing Stevan Ridley is just idiotic.

 He ran the ball eleven times for only forty three yards, and just a 3.9 yard per carry average. If you take out his 49 yard TD reception then he only had four receptions for twenty two yards. But yes his stat sheet will show five receptions for seventy one yards and two touchdowns.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Shane Vereen, he has a very special skill set and something that can definitely be utilized in the right role. Similar to Darren Sproles. He is an outstanding receiving back and can make people miss on quick draws on passing downs, but your not going to ask him to carry the ball 20-25 times a game for you. The Patriots need someone like Jonas Gray, James White, or Brandon Bolden to step up and take the lead in the backfield.

The only reason I have cause for concern with Shane Vereen is the workload that comes with being a feature back in the NFL. If he has to carry the ball 20-25 times a game and be able to grind away at defense, something that he has never been asked to do in the NFL, how will his body hold up? Will he be able to withstand a full NFL season as the lead back? And will him being used as the feature back take him out of the receiving game? All questions that only time will tell.

In order for the Patriots to have the most successful offense, and keep Shane Vereen in the role he is best suited for, they need another back to step forward and take over the backfield. Look for James White (once he gets on the active list) to make an impact as Ridley's replacement for the time coming forward.

The Patriots could without a doubt go to more of a pass happy offense this season, but I don't think that is in their best interest and I don't think they will do that going forward. Last nights game was on a short week and against a solid defensive front so they threw the ball more until they could figure out a plan for the absence of Ridley.

Looking forward they will find their running back that they want to roll with, and they get back to playing some more balanced offense and not letting teams control the time of possession the way that the Jets did last night.


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