Is New England Patriots‘ rookie NFL running back Jonas Gray the future at that position for them following his huge performance against the Indianapolis Colts?
The New England Patriots were able to dominate their Sunday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts, mainly due to the play of rookie running back Jonas Gray. It was the same type of story that LeGarrett Blount had during the NFL Playoffs last season running all over the Colts’ defense, and they allowed Gray to look like an absolute superstar.
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Gray ended up carrying the football 38 times for 199 yards and four touchdowns, and it was the first time that he was ever used as a workhorse back by the Patriots.
Following that type of a performance, many are questioning whether or not Gray has the potential to be the Patriots’ future at the running back position moving forward.
Throughout the course of the game against the Colts, Gray showed quite a few different promising things that have the Patriots excited moving forward. He showed the perfect combination of speed and strength throughout the game, and showed the ability to break the football for long runs as well as grind away for short yardage. New England hasn’t had a complete running back for awhile, and mostly have relied on a two-back system for the majority of their yardage.
At just 24 years of age and being a rookie in the NFL, he showed extreme poise and patience behind the offensive line. Not many young running backs have that type of patience, and especially not in a huge rivalry game in primetime. New England has always found ways to make their young players successful, and that speaks volumes to Bill Belichick and “The Patriot Way.”
So can Gray become the future at running back for New England? The simple answer is yes, and it’s an easy answer to give. He already has the skills that some running backs take years to develop, and quite simply more talented players may never develop.
New England is one of the best organizations in football at developing and improving young players, and that is what they will do with Gray. He couldn’t have broken into the league with a better franchise, and in a better situation.
It will be fun to watch this kid moving forward, and to see how fast his career takes off following his monster performance in front of the entire nation. His name jumped from being a fan favorite to an intriguing national trend, and that is a lot of pressure for a young player to handle.
Needless to say, the Patriots are excited about the performance that he put up against the Colts and will use him more moving forward. There is plenty of time for him to improve his craft, and plenty of potential for him to reach. New England looks like they very well might have found their long-term future at the running back position.
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