Eleven months ago, Sony Michel was the toast of New England. The Patriots running back had just completed a monster postseason run in which he punched in six rushing touchdowns, including the only touchdown in the Pats' 13-3 Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Michel had also enjoyed a terrific rookie campaign in general, rushing for 931 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games while averaging 4.5 yards per carry during the regular season.
However, the 24-year-old experienced some knee trouble during the offseason, which resulted in him having to undergo surgery to repair the issue.
The procedure was not expected to have a lasting effect on Michel heading into 2019, and some even had Michel pegged as a potential breakout candidate going into the season.
While Michel was able to remain healthy, playing in every game, he did not deliver the results that many expected.
The second-year halfback finished with 912 yards and seven scores on the ground, logging a meager 3.7 yards per attempt. He also showed no improvement as a pass-catcher, totaling just 12 grabs for 94 yards.
To be fair, Michel ended the season on a relatively strong note, posting rushing totals of 89, 96, 74 and 61 yards, respectively, over his last four contests (including playoffs) and averaging over four yards per tote in each game, but overall, the 2019 campaign was a disappointing one for the University of Georgia product.
Of course, Michel's lackluster production was hardly all his fault.
The Patriots' offense in general had a host of issues this year, whether it was their less-than-stellar offensive line or their anemic aerial attack in which Tom Brady looked very much like 42 years old for much of the season and the lack of talent in the receiving corps was blatantly obvious.
But that doesn't change the fact that Michel simply was not that good this year, and based on how well he performed in 2018, that's a bit of a bummer.
I don't think anyone expected Michel to become Saquon Barkley, but there were many who at least expected a step forward rather than a step backward, and there was some hope that he would at least become an adequate option as a receiver out of the backfield rather than posing virtually no threat in the passing game at all.
Yes, I understand New England has James White for that, but in two NFL seasons, Michel has caught 19 passes. That just isn't enough in an offense that desperately needs production.
Fortunately, Michel is still very young, so there is plenty of time for him to right the ship, and who knows? Maybe his knee bothered him more than he or the Patriots let on this season.
Michel is also a part of a first-class organization that almost always gets the most out of its players, so he is certainly in a fine situation moving forward.
That being said, we don't know what the future holds for Brady, and I can't remember the last time the Pats had this much of a dearth of offensive talent.
Regardless, Michel had an underwhelming season, but it should be noted that some circumstances beyond his control hurt him.
Taking all of that into consideration, Michel deserves a C-minus grade for his output in 2019.
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