All the way back in Week 1 of this season, Bill Belichick benched Stevan Ridley against the Buffalo Bills for fumbling and thrust his backup, Shane Vereen, into the role of the team’s lead back. To say that Vereen responded well is an understatement. The third-year player rushed 14 times for 101 yards and added seven catches for 58 yards during the Patriots victory.
At the time, it seemed like Vereen would probably hang onto the role as the Patriots No. 1 back – then all hell broke loose. Well, more specifically, it was revealed that a small bone in Vereen’s wrist had broken loose during the first play of the Buffalo game. The Patriots elected to have him undergo wrist surgery and he was placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list.
Vereen finally returned to the field in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers and he picked up right where he left off, catching eight passes for 65 yards and rushing once for seven yards. It was an encouraging return for Vereen’s fantasy owners and it’s also worth noting that Ridley once again had a costly fumble. Belichick opted to stick with Ridley this time around, but had it not been Vereen’s first game back after a 10-week layoff, it’s questionable whether the fumble-adverse coach would have made the same call.
“It was good to have him back,” Belichick said after the game. “He missed two months of football. I think he’ll be better as we go along. He’s worked hard, definitely made some plays that helped us in the game. I think he’ll improve and get better, like any player will with more reps and more opportunities to practice and play. It’s definitely good to have him back out there. There are plenty of things for him to work on but he’s a diligent, hard-working kid that always gives you a solid effort. I’m sure he’ll continue to do that.”
Tom Brady was clearly looking Vereen’s way and he was targeted a game-high 11 times while playing on nearly half of the offensive plays from scrimmage. On the season, Vereen now has 15 receptions for 123 yards, making him a useful fantasy asset, especially in PPR leagues. Going back to last season, Vereen has 25 receptions for 228 yards in last four contests, numbers that even further underscore the large role he has carved out for himself in the Patriots prominent passing attack.
Even if he was only being used as a Darren Sproles clone, Vereen would probably be worth starting in fantasy, but given Ridley’s fumbling issues, he’s going to be worth plugging into your lineup anytime he’s playing on the field for New England on the chance that he starts getting some carries as well. That starts this week when he will face off against the porous defense of the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
Evan Bleier is a freelance writer based out of wherever he can plug in his laptop. You can send him questions, comments and Buffalo wing suggestions @itishowitis or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
