Bill Belichick is pleased with Sony Michel’s performance so far this season

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Versatility, check. Work ethic, check. Maturity, check.

All of these things and more are what New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick appreciates about rookie running back Sony Michel.

After a non-existent preseason (for dealing with a knee injury) and a few subpar performances earlier in this season, Michel has bounced back to put together a strong first year.

In eight games, he leads the team with 586 rushing yards – averaging 4.6 yards per carry and tying him for 19th best in the NFL.

Belichick spoke highly of the first-round pick on Tuesday about how his resilience has helped him find success on the field as the season goes on.

“He does a real good job of all that, has since he’s been here, coming in as a first-round pick with the expectations and so forth,” Belichick said. “He’s really handled all of that well and has really focused on being a good teammate, doing a good job with what he has to do. He’s been great for us.”

Belichick also touched on how important adaptability is in the NFL and how Michel has that characteristic as well.

“He’s a versatile player that can be involved in all three – actually, all four downs – with a high level of execution in the running game, the passing game and the kicking game,” Belichick said. “We’ll take as many of those guys as we can get.”

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