LeGarrette Blount: All He Does is Do His Job (And He’s Damn Good At It!)
LeGarrette Blount: It is amusing to listen to the various responses from fans and the media regarding the performance of LeGarrette Blount during his tenure in New England. Throughout 2016, when a slimmer and shiftier Blount has been playing his best football ever, some fans even go to greater lengths to dismiss his performance as if it were not that important or simply a byproduct of a well oiled Patriots offense. Perhaps it is a heck of a lot more simple than that and aligned perfectly with the head coach’s popular “Do Your Job” mantra: Blount does his job and he does it very well.
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He may not be as exciting as Bell in Pittsburgh or Elliot in Dallas but is that even necessary? Certainly not. Let’s take a look at the broader statistics from LeGarrette Blount in 2016 so from a big picture view we can appreciate what he is doing for the New England Patriots:
Rushing Yards: 957
Yards Per Carry: 4.2 yards/carry
Rushing Touchdowns: 13
Historically speaking within the annals of NFL history those are very solid numbers heading towards the conclusion of a season where Blount’s improved physique and shiftiness is definitely paying off. So, why doesn’t he get the credit he deserves? Perhaps it is because the fans and media take him for granted and for some reason punish him for accumulating touchdowns that purportedly pad his stats when all he is doing is performing the job asked of him.
Beyond this, let’s take a look at some other statistics. Adjusted Net Yards Per Rushing Attempt is an advanced stat that takes into account added yards for touchdowns and severe penalties subtracting for yards for fumbles. Here is the Top 10 in the NFL currently:
| 1 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | 11 | 174 | 949 | 9 | 0 | 6.49 |
| 2 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | 11 | 173 | 908 | 7 | 1 | 5.77 |
| 3 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 12 | 263 | 1,285 | 12 | 1 | 5.61 |
| 4 | Latavius Murray | OAK | 10 | 140 | 553 | 11 | 0 | 5.52 |
| 5 | Rob Kelley | WAS | 11 | 112 | 524 | 4 | 0 | 5.39 |
| 6 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | 12 | 176 | 785 | 7 | 0 | 5.26 |
| 7 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | 9 | 79 | 292 | 6 | 0 | 5.22 |
| 8 | Jordan Howard | CHI | 11 | 181 | 883 | 5 | 1 | 5.15 |
| 9 | David Johnson | ARI | 12 | 228 | 1,005 | 11 | 1 | 5.15 |
| 10 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | 12 | 230 | 957 | 13 | 1 | 5.07 |
LeGarrette Blount ranks 10th in the NFL in this important statistic that places a very heavy emphasis on the pain a fumble creates for a running back’s team.
Furthermore, if we look at the backs that have 200 or more carries at this point, the work horse backs if you will, then Blount ranks 3rd in the NFL.
Players Rushing First Down Percentage: This measures what percent of a players rushing attempts result in a first down. Blount ranks 12th in the NFL.
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Rushing Fumble Rate: This measures the percentage of rushing attempts that are fumbled. This is not the same as fumbles lost. This shows what percent of carries are fumbled by a back. What happens after the fumble can be considered random. With backs that have 150 or more carries Blount currently ranks 6th in the NFL.
LeGarrette Blount does his job and he does a damn good job at that. That is why Coach Belichick loves him and it doesn’t matter how exciting or “sexy” his running style or performances are or are not according to some. Blount helps the Patriots win football games. He’s very reliable and generally healthy. He almost never fumbles. Patriots fans should be extremely happy that they have him.
