New England Patriots: 5 reasons Dion Lewis injury will be overcome

Nov 8, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) carries the ball after the hand off from quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Rushing attack will be fine

Before yesterday’s season-ending injury, Lewis was averaging an excellent 4.8 yards per carry, but it’s worth noting that he’s never had more than eight carries in a single game ever since LeGarrette Blount returned to the starting lineup in Week 2 after being suspended.

Blount is coming off of a 129-yard performance against the Redskins Terrance Knighton-less defense, and there’s never been a doubt that he’s the feature back in New England. With double the carries Lewis has (98 to 49) and 4.6 yards per carry, Blount has been busy bulldozing over defenses, and he’s an even bigger key to this offense despite having less total yards from scrimmage per game than Lewis.

It’s Blount who brings more balance to this offense by consistently gaining yardage in between the tackles, and we’ve seen that, despite his size, he’s also capable of hitting the home run as a rusher.

The Patriots have some depth questions, but Brandon Bolden and James White are well-rounded enough to make it work. There’s no doubt that losing Lewis’s versatility in the backfield hurts, and he is irreplaceable from a pass-catching standpoint. But the running game will be more than fine without him, and Brady could make someone else a legitimate receiving option out of the backfield.

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