Why is Jonas Gray in Bill Belichick's dog house?

Picture courtesy of Patriots.com

Jonas Gray is getting a crash course on the "Patriot Way". However, his timing couldn't have come at a worse time. The running back out of Notre Dame made a name for himself by rushing over 200 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns against the Colts back in week 10. He followed up this impressive performance by showing up late to practice and earned himself a nice warm seat on the bench against the Lions. Since his alarm clock fiasco, Jonas Gray has played a whopping one snap.

So why has Jonas Gray earned a temporary spot on coach Belichick's naughty list? Well, the answer is simple. The Patriots head coach is all about sending a message and sticking to his guns. The "Patriot Way" is all about showing up to work (on time) and being prepared when your name is called. Most importantly, nobody is above the team. Not even the likes of Tom Brady!

As mentioned earlier, all of this couldn't have come at a worse time. The Patriots could've used the bruising running style of Jonas Gray to get the ground game going against the Packers on Sunday. However, Bill Belichick used the game to remind Gray that he let his team down by showing up late to practice. He threw Gray a bone by letting him get a meaningless carry.

While I can't speak on Gray's behalf but I think the message has been heard loud and clear.

Hopefully Jonas Gray will have at least 10 carries as the Patriots look to re-establish the run against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football.  This will be an opportunity to get back in Belichick's good graces.  Otherwise, we might find Gray on an NFL milk carton!


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