5 Players who must step-up for Patriots

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5. James White

Going into Week 10, the smart money was on White getting a bunch of touches in the wake of Lewis being put on the injured reserve. That ended-up not being the case, as White carried once for five yards and caught a single pass for one measly yard.

Looking ahead, it’s paramount that the Patriots at least discover who they have in White. There’s no doubt that he’s a talented player, and shifty in the open field in his own right, even if he’s a poor man’s Lewis.

Thus far, Tom Brady has thrown over 37 percent of his passes to Lewis and Edelman. With those two guys out, someone has to step-up and assume all those targets. Expect Brady to use White early and often on Monday Night Football against an upward-tracking Buffalo Bills front seven that could pose serious pass-rushing issues for the Pats.

Don’t be surprised if White crosses the 100-yard mark in total yards from scrimmage at least once in the Pats’ seven remaining regular season games.

Next: 4. Danny Amendola