New England Patriots team grades vs Los Angeles Chargers

The Patriots rushing offense has been picking up in recent weeks. With all their running backs healthy, the Patriots are figuring out how to utilize them all and get them all touches. Against the Chargers, no one was able to find much success.

While White and Burkhead found success as receivers, there was no such success on the ground. Once again, Dion Lewis led the way in the backfield with 15 carries, setting a season-high for touches for a fourth consecutive week. This time, he didn’t do much with them as he managed only 44 yards, which led the team.

Mike Gillislee was second in the pecking order, receiving 11 carries. As has become the norm, Gillislee didn’t do much with them, managing only 34 yards, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Burkhead received four rushes in addition to his seven receptions, gaining 15 yards on the ground.

All in all, the Patriots ran for 97 yards on 32 carries. The yards per carry average of 3.0 is unsightly, but it was encouraging to see the Patriots stick to the run to control tempo. It helped keep a dangerous Chargers offense off the field, limiting the number of chances they had to score.