New England Patriots: Kenjon Barner will be X-Factor against Bills

On Monday Night Football, the New England Patriots will be facing the Buffalo Bills. For the Patriots, running back, Kenjon Barner will be their X-Factor.

The New England Patriots will be heading to Buffalo for a divisional matchup against the Bills on Monday Night Football. After a big win against the Chicago Bears on the road last week, the Patriots will be seeking their fifth straight win.

This season, the Bills are struggling as expected. Injuries have piled up for them, and they will be starting Derek Anderson at quarterback. The Patriots will be coming into this game as big favorites, but they will be without their talented rookie running back, Sony Michel.

In the win against the Bears, Michel was twisted badly on a tackle but luckily avoided a major knee injury. With Michel out against the Bills, many are expecting to see an increased role for James White. However, it could very well be Kenjon Barner who steps up for the Patriots.

Against the Bears last week, Barner stepped in with 36 rushing yards on 10 carries. Coming in relief of Michel, Barner saw a good amount of action for the Patriots. With this being a road game in Buffalo, the Patriots will likely want to establish themselves on the ground in a game that might not have the best weather conditions.

For Barner, this is a great chance to prove himself as a running back against a poor run defense. The Patriots have been running the ball very well in recent weeks and they will likely want to continue to do so against a run defense that has been exploited this season.

Since the Patriots don’t like to run White too often, Barner is poised to have a lot of opportunities in the running game on Monday night. With a lopsided game being projected, Barner could be in line for 15+ carries easily on Monday night.