Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Blount on Patriots' OL: I'll run left, right, wherever

BY NICK ST. DENIS

LeGarrette Blount will run just about anywhere the New England Patriots ask him to.

The bruising 250-pound tailback has rushed for 355 yards and six touchdowns over the last two games, which he's attributed to an offensive line he thinks should have made the Pro Bowl as an entire unit.

"I feel like that about all of them," Blount said this week, via CSNNE.com. "I don't have a problem running left, I don't have a problem running right, in the middle, or the outside."

Guard Logan Mankins is the only Patriots offensive lineman going to the Pro Bowl. However, the Patriots' offensive line as a whole has been stellar, thanks to the usual top-notch work of positional coach Dante Scarnecchia.

"They've been playing amazing all year," Blount said. ". . . The way guys have filled in for other guys when we've had injuries, I feel like they should all be [in the Pro Bowl] with the way they've stepped up tremendously in the last half of the season."

Blount has gotten double-digits worth of carries in just nine of the 17 games the Patriots have played so far, with his carry total over the last five games going up to the tune of 8-11-16-24-24.

The Patriots may be forced to open up the passing game Sunday against the Denver Broncos, as the weather looks to be ideal and the Broncos' secondary is beat up. Peyton Manning will almost certainly force their hand, anyway.

Blount is ready to accept what ever role awaits him.

"I’m just going to try to go out there, look at what they’re going to give me and hopefully exploit some of their weaknesses," he said.

The Broncos gave up just 3.9 yards a carry through the regular season and 3.6 yards a rush last week against the San Diego Chargers.

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