The New England Patriots had a successful season, even if they didn’t accomplish a Super Bowl run. However, there were some players that didn’t perform to their full potential in 2020. These players need to be better if the Patriots want to have sustained success.
I take a look at three New England Patriots that need to step up in 2020 in order for the team to continue to have success.
WR N’Keal Harry
Harry definitely has to step up next season. After a rookie season plagued by injuries, Harry needs to show that he can be a consistent option for the New England Patriots.
Part of his urgency to perform next season comes from his draft position. Granted, that is no fault of his own. Taken with the last pick in the first round, Harry was hampered by injuries. Harry was activated off injured reserve at the beginning of November, and scored his first touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.
For the year, Harry caught 12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Harry definitely needs to step up and show that he can be a piece to be counted on. Philip Dorsett is a free agent, and Mohamed Sanu will be working his way back from what was a difficult season. Julian Edelman will be counted on, and opposing defenses will know that. Harry needs to show that he can be a playmaker on the outside. If he can stay healthy and continue playing at a high level, that would be beneficial for both him and the team.
LB Ja’whaun Bentley
Bentley needs to play at a high level at the linebacker position next year for the Patriots. Bentley recorded 44 tackles last season, and showed that he could fit into the defense nicely.
Bentley played second fiddle to Donta Hightower last season. Hightower is a productive playmaker, but he is getting older. Bentley showed flashes of his playmaking ability last season. Take the Cincinnati game for example. In that contest, he recorded nine tackles. New England signed up for that type of performance when they drafted him. He needs to continue to play with that same aggression. When he is at his best, he pursues the ball quickly and wraps up on every single tackle.
If New England can start to develop him even more, that would be great for the defense moving forward. Particularly as the National Football League is becoming a passing league, linebackers are no longer just tacklers. They are cover guys and players that need to be able to cover slot receivers. Bentley has that type of athleticism. He just needs to be able to put all together in 2020.
RB Sony Michel
I might get some heat for this one, but Michel is a player that definitely needs to step up in 2020. He was extremely inconsistent last year, and it wasn’t until the later part of the season that he began to put it all together.
On the year, he ran the ball 247 times for 912 yards and seven touchdowns. He excelled in many games, with the game against Buffalo being a prime example. He rushed the ball 21 times for 96 yards.
However, he did have games where he struggled a bit. Rushing the ball four times for eight yards against the Baltimore Ravens, he just could not get anything going. To be fair, the whole team struggled that night.
At times, he hit the rushing lanes with decisiveness and speed. Other times, it looked like he could not get out of his own way. There was never consistency in either direction. Consistency and more games like the one against Buffalo need to happen for the Patriots to have an effective rushing attack. Heading into year three, Michel needs to prove that