Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were down to just two recognized running backs against the Buffalo Bills following Sony Michel’s knee injury. That prompted the Patriots to experiment with wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson starting at running back.
Belichick admitted on WEEI Radio in Boston on Tuesday that he is concerned about the team’s lack of depth at the running back spot.
“We just got back a few hours ago, so we'll kind or recalibrate here and see where we're at relative to who's available and how we want to structure our game plan and what we want to do there,” Belichick said, via NBC Sports Boston. “That's one of the things we're going through (Tuesday). But it's a consideration, and I'd say it's a concern.”
Patterson ended up leading the team with 38 yards on 10 carries. James White was impressive again as a receiver, but had just eight carries for 15 yards. Meanwhile, Kenjon Barned had a mere four yards on two carries. Patterson is hoping to get a few more carries next week, but the Patriots likely aren't going to grant that request against the Packers.
Luckily for the Patriots, Michel returned to practice ahead of the Bills game, which means he could be ready to return for their big Sunday night showdown against the Packers. Moreover, there's still a chance Rex Burkhead returns from injured reserve later in the month to provide a boost to that running back depth chart.
But until then, Belichick and the Patriots will have to make do with what they have until their concerning lack of depth at running back resolves itself in time.
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