Big-play breakdown: White's patience pays off

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FOXBORO -- James White knows what it means to be patient. He played sparingly in three games as a rookie while learning behind Shane Vereen, and he fell in as the No. 2 "sub" back on the Patriots roster this season after Dion Lewis proved himself to be a rare talent during training camp. 

White, a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, waited for his chance even though there was no guarantee it would ever come. 

When Lewis tore his ACL in Week 9 and landed on season-ending injured reserve, White moved up a spot on the depth chart, but he didn't immediately see the kind of workload that had been heaped on his predecessor. 

In Week 10, White saw two touches. In Week 11, it was four. When Week 13 rolled around, he had the game of his career -- 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown -- in a loss to the Eagles. He had 40 total yards and scored a rushing touchdown the following week in a win over Houston, and he continued to build momentum on Sunday against the Titans. 

In the 33-16 win, moving New England's record to 12-2, White made seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. He also ran it once for six yards. 

Slowly but surely -- with players like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola missing time due to injury -- White has been leaned upon more and more and become one of Tom Brady's most dependable weapons in the passing game. 

White's production has built on itself in a way, like a wave. With more work, he's gained more confidence. With more confidence, he's allowed himself to improvise in the open field. And as he's made tacklers miss, picking up yardage and protecting the football all the while, he's earned more work. 

"You always try to run with confidence," White said. "The more you get out there, the more comfortable you can be sometimes. The ball's in my hands, I just try to protect it and get yards for this team."

While his confidence and comfort in the Patriots offense has helped, White's patience -- perhaps his signature trait since joining the Patriots -- earned him his fifth touchdown of the season and gave the Patriots a 21-3 lead over Tennessee. 

On a second-and-10 play with 9:31 remaining in the first half, the Patriots continued to try to spread out the Titans with a 14-3 lead. At that point in the game, the Patriots were working on a 2-to-1 pass-to-run ratio (12 passes to six runs), and they were going to chuck it again.

Keshawn Martin's 75-yard kickoff return already had the Patriots in field-goal range, but there was more there to be had. 

Brady took the shotgun snap and looked down the field while James White released into his route off the left edge of the line of scrimmage. For a brief instant, the entire offensive line held its ground as though it was looking to provide Brady with a secure pocket. Split out to the left, Amendola and LaFell charged hard off of the line of scrimmage. On the other side of the field, Martin and Rob Gronkowski stuck close to the line of scrimmage, occupying a pair of defenders on that half of of the field.

After blocking for a moment, New England's interior offensive linemen -- guards Josh Kline and Shaq Mason and center David Andrews -- released. When Brady hit White with a short dump-off to the left side of the formation, Andrews motored down the line of scrimmage toward the left sideline, while Kline followed in hot pursuit to lead the charge on the screen play. 

It looked congested, even to Brady. But he let his pass go and trusted his running back to do something with it, even if all he could muster was a small gain.

"From what I saw," Brady said, "there wasn't much there."

Titans corner Coty Sensabaugh, who had lined up across from Amendola, did not run down the field with the Patriots slot receiver as he sprinted ahead. Instead, Sensabaugh sniffed out the screen but quickly found himself face-to-face with Andrews. Andrews may not be the most physically-imposing center in the league, but at 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, he was too much for the 5-11, 187-pound Sensabaugh to handle. 

"There was someone in a different colored jersey. I just ran out there and hit him," Andrews said later. "I'll have to watch the film to get a good breakdown of it, but there was someone in a different color, and I just hit him."

After spinning off of his initial block at right guard, Kline bounced across the field and took on the next most pressing threat to blow up the play, linebacker Avery Williamson. Sealing off his man, Kline worked in conjunction with Andrews to give White a seam. 

"It's hard for an offensive lineman to block in the open field because a lot of times it's skill players like DBs and things like that," White said. "Just try to give them time to make those blocks, make it easier for them. When they make a crease, you just gotta take it."

Those two initial blocks alone were enough for White to pick up first-down yardage, but there were three more blocks that allowed him to get into the end zone untouched.

Mason moved from his spot at left guard and got just enough of linebacker Zach Brown to slow him down in the middle of the field. Meanwhile, both Amendola and LaFell engaged Titans defensive backs down the field and held their blocks as the play developed and crept up their backs. 

After the fact, White let it be known that he appreciated that extra effort.

"They were sustaining their blocks the whole time," White said. "They gave me a seam so I could turn the ball up the field. They did a great job -- offensive linemen and receivers -- on that play."

That there was a corridor for White to squeeze through was, in part, his own doing as well. He had to pace himself, and allow his blockers time to get to where they needed to be before stepping on the gas.

"He was so patient to see things open up and then took advantage when the hole finally did open, accelerated through there and got in the end zone," Brady said. "He's been really productive in that role and [it's a] really great tribute to his hard work and commitment. He was here last year and learned a lot and then got his opportunity when Dion went out, and he's just done a great job with it."

In more ways than one, White's patience paid off on Sunday.

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