Turns out having a quarterback bigger than most linebackers is helpful when looking for that extra yard
The Patriots weren’t just good in short yardage Sunday against Miami.
They were perfect.
New England had four yards or closer to gain on 12 plays Sunday against the Dolphins. One was a fourth-and-1 from their own 34, so the Patriots punted there. The other 11 for the day ended with first downs or a touchdown.
The offensive line deserves some of the credit, as they played in control most of the afternoon. But it’s hard to ignore the role Cam Newton played in all of it.
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"Anytime the quarterback is a capable ball carrier, it kind of evens the playing field relative to some of the numbers," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "There’s been many teams that have sued that to their advantage over the course of time and we’ve certainly had to defend those teams."
Newton’s impact on those types of plays were immediate. He picked up a 2nd-and-3 on the Patriots first drive, one of four first downs he converted with his legs in short yardage situations, including his 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He threw for another first down, a 16-yard pass to Julian Edelman that helped set up a field goal attempt at the end of the first half.
"I’ll tell you right now – I’ll do whatever I can do to get a first down in those situations," McDaniels said. "I know the distance is not very big, but the situation is usually enormous. The momentum you gain from converting one or not converting one on the flip side of it can be really important to the game."
Newton wasn’t the only one with success. Sony Michel, who had trouble in short yardage last year after a successful rookie season converting them in 2018, carried it four times in short situations and picked up three first downs and the game-clinching touchdown.
James White also picked up a first down on a 2nd-and-4 in the second quarter and Rex Burkhead picked up a 3rd-and-3 to keep that Michel TD drive alive.
"I thought our guys did a good job of executing the actual play up front and giving the runners the chance to convert on those. Sony made two great urns on short yardage on Sunday and I thought he was really tough and physical," McDaniels said. "We kind of kept the line of scrimmage clean so that he could kind of get himself started and Cam obviously made a couple of runs there at the end as well."
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