New England Patriots: Dion Lewis a Huge Offensive Weapon

Aside from their defensive backs, running back Shane Vereen was likely the New England Patriots’ biggest loss this off season. As one of the best receiving backs in the NFL, Vereen had grown to become a great security blanket for Tom Brady in the passing game.

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James White, who the Patriots drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, was expected to be Vereen’s replacement entering the season. Well, White only played one snap in the Patriots’ season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while free agent addition Dion Lewis led all Patriots’ backs by a wide margin with 45 snaps taken, according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus.

Lewis turned a successful training camp and preseason into a golden opportunity, and he had himself an impressive debut. Lewis finished the game with 15 carries for 69 yards (4.6 yards per carry), while also chipping in four receptions for 51 yards.

He was calm and collective both as a receiver and blocker in the passing game, while showing great quickness and explosion with the ball in his hands.

Lewis is not a big guy (listed at 5’8″ and 195 pounds), but he is relatively stout, and is not afraid to put his body on the line. Also, whether it was as a receiver or in the run game, once Lewis got the ball in his hands, he made quick and decisive moves up the field to pick up yardage.

He has great quickness and agility that adds up to impressive shake-and-bake abilities. See Lewis with the ball in his hands one time, and you will notice his obvious play-making skills.

The night was not completely positive for Lewis, as he almost committed a cardinal sin in the fourth quarter. With the Patriots driving deep into Steelers’ territory mid-way through the final quarter, Brady dropped a pass off to Lewis who shook and shimmied his way for a 19-yard gain that ended up near the goal line.

Unfortunately, Lewis fumbled the ball at the end of that play, but luckily it was recovered by the star of the game, tight end Rob Gronkowski. All’s well that ends well, but the Patriots in particular are usually not kind to players who put the ball on the ground. However, Lewis was inserted back in the game on the next drive, and Bill Belichick trusted him enough to allow him to handle the ball many more times.

Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Mike Mitchell (23) tackles New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis also dropped a pass from Brady later in the fourth quarter. While it was a tough play to make, it was one that he probably should have brought in. Good, solid game from Lewis on Thursday, but he will have to clean up those mistakes going forward.

Based on his usage in the game on Thursday night, the Patriots clearly have some belief in Lewis. While he is not near as established as someone like Vereen, I honestly believe that Lewis brings more upside to the Patriots’ offense. His obvious quickness and ability to make defenders miss in the open field is impressive.

Similar to how Julian Edelman makes plays in the Patriots’ offense, Brady can just drop it off to Lewis and he can easily make a couple of defenders miss. Lewis has some serious upside in this offense.

LeGarrette Blount returns from his one-game suspension next week, which will likely mean a more limited role from Lewis than what we saw on Thursday night. That being said, the position of receiving back seems to be his, and he brings some serious upside to the role.

Next: 5 Takeaways from Patriots vs. Steelers

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