White catches on quickly
FOXBORO — James White has accentuated the backfield component in the Patriots passing game.
White is a change-of-pace tailback who raised the bar during the regular season by catching more passes than any back in the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era.
White had 60 catches for 551 yards and five touchdowns with three different quarterbacks.
White will look to carry that success into the postseason when the Patriots host the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round on Saturday night.
“It’s an exciting time of year, and loser goes home,” White said after yesterday’s practice at Gillette Stadium.
“We are going to get the best shot from everybody and go out there and compete in a great atmosphere. Everybody’s excited about having the week off, but these guys have already won a playoff game. They will be ready, so we have to come out there flying around on Saturday.”
Brady always has valued tailbacks with fast feet and soft hands to execute screen plays and secure passes in the flat or over the middle. They are outlet options at the end of the quarterback’s progression.
Brady found Kevin Faulk 58 times in the 2008 regular season and hit Shane Vereen with 52 passes in 2014. White’s 60 receptions are the third-best mark in Pats history by a running back.
“In this league, you have to be able to run the football and be as balanced as you can to keep the defenses on their toes,” White said. “I know my role each and every Sunday, and I go out and try and execute whatever I’m asked to do whether it’s run the ball, catching, blocking.”
White has emerged as one of the NFL’s most reliable receivers out of the backfield but insists he is not a one-dimensional tailback. Even though he stands 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, White has shown a stout resolve with blitz pickup and is an outside threat in the running game.
LeGarrette Blount is the Patriots’ primary ball carrier who does his best work between the tackles. Blount led the team with 1,110 yards and set a franchise record with 18 rushing touchdowns. White and Dion Lewis combined for 449 yards on 103 carries.
“I just want to continue to grow as a player no matter how much success I’ve had,” White said. “I learn from my mistakes to become a better player, and I try to do the most I can for this team, so whatever they ask me to do, I go out there and execute it.”
White prepared for his role with the Patriots during 52 college games at Wisconsin. White played behind Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon but amassed 5,450 all-purpose yards, the fourth-most in Badgers history, because of his ability to gain yards after the catch.
White became Brady’s fall-back receiver in 2015 when he caught 40 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns. He recorded a career-high 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in a 35-28 loss vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 6. The 115 receiving yards were the fourth-most in Pats history by a running back in a single game.