Eight games and a bye week are in the Patriots’ rearview mirror, and, to borrow a phrase from head coach Bill Belichick, New England officially is on to the second half of the season.
Here are the Patriots’ skill-position players’ projected stats eight games into 2017.
QUARTERBACK
Tom Brady
2017 stats: 206-of-309, 2,541 yards, 16 touchdowns, two interceptions
On pace for: 412-of-618, 5,082 yards, 32 touchdowns, four interceptions
If this holds, Brady would throw for his most yards since 2011 and his most touchdowns since 2015.
RUNNING BACKS
James White
2017 stats: 43 catches, 365 yards, one touchdown, 28 carries, 120 yards
On pace for: 86 catches, 730 yards, two touchdowns, 56 carries, 240 yards
White would set career highs for carries, rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards. He would break the franchise single-season record for receptions and receiving yards by a Patriots running back.
Mike Gillislee
2017 stats: 98 carries, 355 yards, four touchdowns
On pace for: 196 carries, 710 yards, eight touchdowns
Gillislee would set a new individual mark for yards and would tie his touchdown total from last season. He has yet to catch a pass this season.
Dion Lewis
2017 stats: 58 carries, 271 yards, two touchdowns, 10 catches, 58 yards
On pace for: 116 carries, 542 yards, four touchdowns, 20 catches, 116 yards
Lewis is just 12 yards away from breaking his career high in rushing yards. He’s currently on pace to set a new career mark in yards from scrimmage, breaking the 622 he had in 2015.
Rex Burkhead
2017 stats: 15 carries, 64 yards, 12 catches, 128 yards, one touchdown
On pace for: 45 carries, 192 yards, 36 catches, 384 yards, three touchdowns
Burkhead only has played four games, so we projected him out to 12 games. He would set a career high in yards from scrimmage.
FB James Develin
2017 stats: three catches, 20 yards
On pace for: six catches, 40 yards
WIDE RECEIVERS
Brandin Cooks
2017 stats: 33 catches, 563 yards, three touchdowns, three carries, 10 yards
On pace for: 66 catches, 1,126 yards, six touchdowns, six carries, 20 yards
Cooks no longer is on pace for career highs in any of his stats.
Chris Hogan
2017 stats: 33 catches, 438 yards, five touchdowns, three carries, 17 yards
On pace for: 66 catches, 876 yards, 10 touchdowns, six carries, 34 yards
Hogan is on pace for career highs in everything, but he’s also nursing a shoulder injury that could cost him upcoming production.
Danny Amendola
2017 stats: 31 catches, 338 yards, one touchdown
On pace for: 66 catches, 724 yards, two touchdowns
Amendola’s career high in receptions is 85 in 2010, so it seems unlikely he’ll touch that. His career high in yards also came in 2010 with 689. He missed one game this season, so we’re projecting him out to 15 games.
Phillip Dorsett
2017 stats: four catches, 85 yards, one carry, 7 yards
On pace for: eight catches, 170 yards, two carries, 14 yards
TIGHT ENDS
Rob Gronkowski
2017 stats: 34 catches, 509 yards, five touchdowns
On pace for: 73 catches, 1,091 yards, 11 touchdowns
Gronkowski missed a game, so we’re projecting him out to 15 games. Based on his projected stats, he would receive $3 million in incentives for the season. He would receive the maximum $5.5 million by playing 90 percent of snaps, or having 80 catches, 14 touchdowns, 1,200 receiving yards or being named All-Pro. He’s currently playing 80.44 percent of offensive snaps.
Jacob Hollister
2017 stats: three catches, 37 yards
On pace for: six catches, 79 yards
Hollister, a rookie, was inactive for one game. We’re projecting him out to 15 games.
Dwayne Allen
2017 stats: 0 catches on six targets
On pace for: 0 catches on 12 targets
Allen’s career low in receptions and yards came in 2013 when he played just one game and had one catch for 20 yards. We’ll see if he can better than in a full 16-game season.
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
