If what Bill Belichick has said about Sony Michel is true, then that’s deeply encouraging for the New England Patriots running back.

Belichick said Thursday that Michel “has a long way to go.”

That’s a common adage for Belichick when he’s discussing young players. Frankly, he probably repeats the phrase to keep players working hard at development. But if Michel does, in fact, have a long way to go, then he may go pretty darn far. In the last two weeks, he has averaged over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a rookie, even one drafted in the first round.

Just ask the coach game planning for Michel this week.

“I think it was a great pick,” Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday when asked what he thought of Michel coming out of the University of Georgia. “I think he runs hard, aggressive. He can catch the football. He’s a smart kid, with them when he came out. And he’s a good football player.”

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Incidentally, Reid identified one necessary area of growth. Michel needs to expand his role in the passing game. He has taken baby steps. He struggled with an out route, a seemingly basic route, in his first few games, and failed to connect with Brady on their first three attempts at that play. On the fourth, however, they linked up for a 12-yard gain.

That served as a reminder: Michel missed most of training camp and all of preseason. It also stirred up a past training camp memory. When Rex Burkhead joined the Patriots in 2017, he was struggling with the exact same route that has caused Michel problems. Burkhead worked with Brady in training camp – with no defense in coverage – on the practice field, and Burkhead’s attempts at the route were not to Brady’s liking. The first effort was enough to draw audible coaching from Brady, who told Burkhead to take an extra rep and run it again. Despite a rash of injuries, Burkhead went on to catch 30 balls from Brady in 10 games in 2017. Michel missed those opportunities while dealing with a knee injury. So instead of getting the luxury of working on those fine details in training camp in front of New England media, Michel has to make those adjustments in front of a national audience of, at least, hundreds of thousands. While he may seem like he’s taking baby steps, those baby steps can be monumental.

“He’s a guy who’s willing to learn,” Patriots running back James White said at a press conference on Tuesday. “He’s working extremely hard. Like you said, he missed preseason so he missed those live reps but I’ve been saying the more he gets out there, the more confident he’ll be and the more comfortable he’ll be out there learning the plays, getting the feel for how defenses are going to play him and what not. I’m trying to help him as much as I can, not throw too much at him, but allow him to go out there and play with confidence. He’s a good football player so he’ll continue to get better and better.”

The Patriots’ Week 6 opponent poses a significant opportunity for Michel and New England’s running game. The Kansas City Chiefs have allowed the most yards per carry (5.8) in the NFL so far this season. Michel was asked whether that defense could provide him the opportunity for a big game.

“You still have to go out there and execute,” he said Wednesday. “They’re a good team. They’ve got a good defense. If you don’t go out there and execute on defense, you’re going to get no yards.”

While Michel has been productive in recent weeks, he still is leaving yards on the field. Yes, he had a strong run in Week 5 when he cut through a big hole and stiff-armed a defender in the open field for a 34-yard gain. He had a short-yardage situation, however, during that game when he should have bounced the play outside for a huge gain and, perhaps, a touchdown, as noted by the Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard. But he stayed conservative, stayed inside, picked up the first down and short gain. A veteran back might have had the confidence to take the big play on the outside – Michel wasn’t quite there yet.

“I’m learning a lot,” Michel said when asked how he feels his vision is progressing. “You just see different things from different teams. Everyone has different playing styles. Everybody has different defenses, different adjustments and you just see different things.”

As he begins to see more schemes, he should become more comfortable exploiting them for gains. The fact that he has been intent on absorbing that information will likely serve him in the future. After all, most players don’t have the experience of a player like, Tom Brady, a 19-year veteran who has said he feels like he’s seen just about every defense, every coverage and every scheme the NFL has to offer. Michel is at the opposite end of the spectrum, working his way toward Brady.

While Michel has a long way to go, his trial-by-fire is presenting a steep learning curve that Michel has met admirably. If he continues on this developmental pace, his role in New England’s offense should continue to expand.