Breaking Down Sony Michel's Breakout Game For Patriots: What Changed For Rookie?

Sony Michel enjoyed the best game of his young New England Patriots career Sunday, rushing 25 times for 112 yards and a touchdown in a 38-7 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins.

That was a far cry from Michel’s production in the previous two games, during which he totaled 84 yards on 24 carries. So what changed for the rookie running back?

Well, for one, his offensive line helped him immensely against Miami, turning in a highly impressive performance after struggling in losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. Michel, who missed the entire preseason and the regular-season opener with a knee injury, also ran with more burst and decisiveness, appearing more comfortable than he did in Weeks 2 and 3.

Let’s take a closer look at Michel’s five biggest plays from Sunday.

Time: First quarter, 10:35 remaining
Down/distance: first-and-10
Gain: 9 yards
Key blocks: RG Shaq Mason on DE Jonathan Woodard, FB James Develin on LB Raekwon McMillan, LG Joe Thuney on LB Kiko Alonso

The first three entries on this list all came on New England’s opening possession. Given a fresh set of downs thanks to cornerback Xavien Howard’s defensive holding penalty on third-and-5, the Patriots handed the ball back to Michel, who’d been stopped for no gain on the Patriots’ first offensive snap.

Running out of an I-formation, Mason sealed off Woodard, Develin took on McMillan hole and Thuney got to the second level to engage Alonso, turning what might have been a 2-yard gain into a 9-yarder.

Time: First quarter, 10:24 remaining
Down/distance: second-and-1
Gain: 13 yards
Key blocks: LT Trent Brown on DE Charles Harris, C David Andrews on McMillan, WR Chris Hogan on CB Bobby McCain

On the very next play, quarterback Tom Brady handed the ball to Michel on a stretch handoff to the left. Brown walled off Harris to open up the edge, and Hogan prevented McCain from shooting in to blow the play up in the backfield. Andrews’ block — a cut on the linebacker 5 yards downfield — was less visible but equally as important. Each of these first two runs went to the weak side of the formation, away from the tight end.

Time: First quarter, 9:11 remaining
Down/distance: first-and-10
Gain: 14 yards
Key blocks: TE Rob Gronkowski on Woodard, WR Cordarrelle Patterson on Alonso, RT Marcus Cannon on McCain, Develin on Alonso

Three plays, three carries for Michel. This one was a toss to the right. Gronkowski split out wide before the snap and motioned back to the formation to seal off Woodard:

Patterson blocked down on Alonso, and Cannon pulled around Gronkowski to drive McCain toward the sideline:

Alonso eventually was able to spin off Patterson, but Develin picked him up, springing Michel for an extra 7 or 8 yards before McCain and Minkah Fitzpatrick dragged him down from behind.

Time: Second quarter, 4:37 remaining
Down/distance: first-and-10
Gain: 23 yards
Key blocks: Mason on DT Akeem Spence, Cannon on Woodard, Develin on LB Jerome Baker

This was Michel’s longest run of the afternoon and also his most impressive individual effort. Brady’s quick glance downfield at the snap froze the linebackers, Mason and Cannon diverted their men to open up the B-gap and Develin took on Woodard to give Michel a lane.

Seeing the opening, Michel then showcased the explosiveness that made him a collegiate star at Georgia. He outran McMillan, broke through McCain’s lunging tackle attempt and gained another 18 yards before being gang-tackled by Fitzpatrick and Alonso.

Time: Fourth quarter, 14:38 remaining
Down/distance: first-and-10
Gain: 10-yard touchdown
Key blocks: TE Dwayne Allen on Harris, Brown on Howard, Patterson on S Maurice Smith, Andrews on DT Davon Godchaux

Michel’s final touch of the game resulted in his first NFL touchdown. This was another toss play with a similar outside blocking scheme to the first. Dwayne Allen demolished Harris with a whopper of a crackback block, Patterson stuck on Smith and the 6-foot-8, 380-pound Brown marauded downfield toward Howard, who opted to take a dive rather than challenge the gargantuan tackle.

The rest of the Patriots’ offensive linemen all delivered cut blocks, leaving behind a minefield of downed Dolphins defenders.

Left guard Joe Thuney wasn’t able to knock Alonso to the turf with his block, but he delayed the linebacker long enough for Michel to turn the corner and trot into the end zone.