5 New England Patriots players to watch in Week 3

Patriots Players to Watch in Week 3: LeGarrette Blount

Without a doubt, the Patriots are going to give running back LeGarrette Blount another healthy workload of carries in Week 3, making him a player to watch this week against a threatening Houston front seven.

Through two games, only three running backs in the NFL have rushed for more yards than Blount, who has seen a larger-than-average workload due to the nature of the Patriots’ quarterback position in the first quarter of the regular season.

To put it in perspective, Blount is on pace to rack up 1,544 yards on the ground in 2016; that is unlikely to happen, but we can at least hope that Blount will be the first Patriots’ running back to pass the 1,000-yard mark since Stevan Ridley did it in 2012.

To quell the fierce Houston pass rush, Blount will be counted on to establish the run game early. Hopefully, the revamped blocking schemes instituted by the return of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will benefit Blount for the third consecutive week.

Next: 3. Marcus Cannon