The NFL may be considered a “passing league,” with evolving rules designed to maximize that, but history shows it still requires a formidable running game to win a Super Bowl. And that’s a troubling fact for the 2015 Patriots. They are averaging just 87.2 rushing yards per game, which reflects the lowest output in Bill Belichick’s tenure since his first season in Foxboro (86.9).
Of the 15 Super Bowl champions crowned this century, all but two exceeded a per-game average of 100 yards on the ground — and that includes the Pats’ four ring-winners. In fact, only the 2011 Giants were 10 or more yards off that average, as the Patriots currently are.