6 Reasons why the Patriots won in Week 15

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

4. Ascendance of James White

Once again, White did his best Dion Lewis impression as a pass catcher out of the backfield and the Patriots were a better team because of it. White tallied 71 yards on seven receptions, including a 30-yard touchdown off a screen pass. He displayed nifty footwork while patiently allowing for his blocking to develop. And it’s clear that Brady is growing to trust the sophomore pro’s hands out of the backfield.

Week 15 Stock Watch: Iosefa up, Ryan down

In that past three games, White has touched the ball 25 times for 236 yards and three scores. He is little-used as traditional running back, because he’s undersized at just 205 pounds, but he proves his worth as a pass catcher, and that’s one of the reasons why the Patriots prevailed in Week 15.

The backfield trio of Iosefa, Bolden and White may look entirely different from the one-two punch of Blount and Lewis at the beginning of the season, but it hardly matters. The Patriots make do with the talent that is healthy and well-versed in the offensive schemes, and White’s growing stardom is the latest example of that.

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