LeGarrette Blount was brought to New England to compliment the explosive style of featured back Stevan Ridley and the slashing style of passing back Shane Vereen - a role player who found a niche killing the clock - and returning kickoffs, of all things.
This Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, his role becomes all of those things.
Injuries have decimated the New England Patriots offense to the point that quarterback Tom Brady is having to rely on a gaggle of rookie receivers to handle his fastballs, suiting up without tight end Rob Gronkowski all season and without receiver Danny Amendola since the opening day win at Buffalo - the same game that saw Vereen go down with a broken wrist.
And now, Ridley with a knee issue and reserve back Brandon Bolden dealing with the same, here is the 250 pound bruiser in the lead back role - a place where Bill Belichick envisioned for him all along?
The resolute head coach became indignant when a beat writer suggested that the coach's confidence has been building the past few weeks, causing Belichick to abruptly interrupt the writer mid-sentence, his voice full of contempt...
"The confidence in him has been since day one." Belichick hissed, "I think we saw it in the Philadelphia game. There's no issue with confidence in LeGarrette, none"
To many, Blount is the dude that got suspended in college for sucker punching an opposing player after a game, and that's all they know about or care about - they don't bother to include the fact that he worked his way back from suspension by accomplishing every goal set forth for him. He runs with that same attitude, and now he has the opportunity to show Patriots' nation whether or not Belichick's confidence in him is well founded or just the arrogance of a foolish old man.
But football is a team game, and even a six foot tall, 250 pound mutant needs big uglies to open holes for him to run through, and that is going to be a tougher than usual task against one of the best defensive lines in the league on Sunday.
Belichick is normally very complimentary of his opponents in press conferences leading up to a game, but he was unusually candid in his praise of the Bengals' first line of defense, particularly tackle Geno Atkins.
"He'd probably be the first pick in the draft." Belichick quipped - not smiling, no sarcasm in his voice, completely serious. Belichick is often respectful when speaking of players whom he thinks does things the right way, but rarely does one hear the old school fundamentalist heap such praise upon one player...
...which speaks to his determination to get the running game going - because if history has told us anything, it's that when you hear something like that come out of Belichick's mouth, it means that he takes that player or group as a direct challenge to his coaching ability and the ability of his own players - and that he's going to run the ball right at him.
He challenged his line to do just that, according to All Pro left guard Logan Mankins - and even the most casual of Patriots' fans recognize that the play action that successfully running the ball affords quarterback Tom Brady is the key to the success of New England's passing game.
Fullback James Develin will be instrumental in this scenario, the former defensive lineman knowing just how to hit the hole to disrupt it's integrity enough for open up big holes, and also has shown himself to be a capable receiver curling out of the backfield.
The Bengals can and will come at the Patriots with determination and pass rushing talent that few in the NFL can match, or even match up with. The Patriots' offensive line faced a similar task in their annual "dress rehearsal" at Detroit in the preseason, and got absolutely stomped - and while the preseason is a far cry from the intricate game-planned entity that the regular season tasks, it's still a fairly fresh memory...
...so the main matchup for the Patriots on Sunday afternoon belongs on the offensive line, and how in the world the big uglies are going to generate enough push to give Blount a seam to run through while also giving Brady enough time to find his receivers.
The two are intertwined, and it helps the Patriots' cause that wide receiver Danny Amendola - he of the torn adductor muscle - is scheduled to return to the line up. It also helps the passing game that the Bengals' secondary is seriously banged up.
Cornerback Leon Hall is doubtful for Sunday's game, as is backup corner Brandon Ghee, leaving Adam "Pacman" Jones, greybeard Terrance Newman and second year Alabama product Dre Kirkpatrick as the top three corners on the depth chart, while veteran free safety Reggie Nelson is running on one good leg - if at all - due to a sore hammy, so the Patriots may be able to target rookie Shawn Willimas over the top and up the seam.
The linebacking corps - already considered the weak link in the Bengals' defense, is further hampered by injuries to Vontaze Burfict (neck) and former Steelers' goon James Harrison (knee) - and with middle linebacker Rey Maualuga a shell of his former self even though only in his fifth year, this is a unit that the Patriots can exploit...
...both with the running game if the offensive line can get enough push to get Blount to the second level, and also in the passing game where it's possible that we'll see Brady calling for unbalanced formations and running out of the stretch, isolating Amendola or Julian Edelman on crossing routes - and in the flat to running back Brandon Bolden or even to seldom seen Leon Washington, both of whom should be active despite lingering injuries.
And if the running game gives Brady the advantage of utilizing the play action to it's full effectiveness, it wouldn't be surprising to see rookie sensation Kenbrell Thompkins turn in another huge performance as a big play possession receiver. It is uncertain if recever Aaron Dobson will be effective, given his neck injury against Atlanta, but the Patriots do still have speedster Josh Boyce, who displayed a small sample of his ability on Sunday night.
Dobson could be a key in this game as his speed could challenge the Bengals' safeties up the seam, on the fly and in the red zone as the biggest target the Patriots have outside of the tight ends. One thing to watch with the rookie out of Marshall is if he has developed a little case of alligator arms over the middle, given that he nearly had his head taken off by the Falcons' safeties last week.
It would help matters if the Patriots' tight ends generated anything downfield, but with Rob Gronkowski still unable to play, the duo of Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan will be counted on to occupy a linebacker or two - and either could come up with a big play to extend a drive or put points on the board as we all saw last week with the gorgeous throw and catch from Brady to Mulligan last Sunday night.
Both are capable inline blockers as well, particularly the Gronkowski-sized Mulligan, so seeing a Wham block or two to try and stand up Atkins and producing a seam for Blount to power through is something that Patriots' fans could - and should - see on Sunday afternoon.
In the end, the success of the Patriots' offense is directly reliant on the offensive line handling the fury of the Bengals' defensive front, generating push in the running game and giving Brady a clean pocket to throw from.
It's quite simple, really - and it's all about fundamental football. If the Patriots can control the line of scrimmage, they win this game easily. If not, well, it's going to be a scrap.
But as complimentary as Belichick has been in regard to the Bengals' defensive line, he has been just as adamant in his praise and trust in his own line and with his confidence in his new lead running back - and why not? After all, he is a "Blount Instrument" - the definition of which is "any solid object used as a weapon, which damages its target by applying direct mechanical force."
Blunt instruments typically inflict blunt force trauma, causing bruising, fractures and other internal bleeding - but all that Belichick wants out of his weapon is his 4.2 yards per carry average and a cloud of dust - and in the end, that should be enough to tame these Bengals.
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