LEWIS CAN HELP TAKE
Pats should do more with magical RB
If the Patriots could pick the perfect week to run a little more and throw a little less, this would be it. After all, Tom Brady’s sore left shoulder needs a break from all the pounding it’s taken in recent games. One solution? Get the running game cranked up. More specifically, let Dion Lewis loose.
If the Patriots are going to unleash Lewis, now’s the time. Why continue to hold him back? Is the rationale to save him for later? There won’t be a later, if Brady goes down for the count. While it also makes sense to use power back Mike Gillislee as part of the equation to preserve Brady, Lewis must have a bigger role. Much bigger. And with the Jets defense ranked 30th in the league against the run, it’s the perfect time.
Naturally, Lewis speaks to the media like a true team player.
“Whenever my number is called, my job is to go out there and try to make the smartest and safest play for the team, and try to make a play as well,” Lewis said Wednesday. “I’m going to try to gain yards when I can, make guys miss when I can. Whenever I’m given an opportunity, I’m going to give it all that I’ve got.”
Against the Buccaneers, Lewis was smart, safe, and explosive. He had seven carries for 53 yards, both season highs. His first-quarter dash for 31 yards was spectacular. He took the handoff from Brady, made a quick cut at the line and flew past a wave of defenders before being knocked out of bounds at Tampa Bay’s 14-yard line.
That was the Lewis from two years ago, before his ACL surgery. Some of his shorter runs have been equally impressive, making two or three guys miss before he’s finally taken down.
He’s the only running back the Patriots have with those skills. Nobody else can make defenders miss like he can.
Lewis indicated his surgically repaired left knee is feeling as good as it’s ever felt, classifying it as “night and day” compared to last year. All he wants is more of a chance to show what he can do. But he also knows he’s one in a committee of backs. Everyone has a role and a purpose.
Gillislee is the hammer and power runner. James White is the go-to guy for Brady coming out of the backfield catching the football. Rex Burkhead, who hasn’t played the past few weeks because of a rib injury, does a little bit of everything. Lewis? He’s the magic man. That’s what he was before tearing his ACL seven games into the 2015 season. That’s why he needs to get the ball more, especially now.
With the exception of holding the Dolphins to 30 rushing yards in Week 3, the Jets have had trouble stopping teams on the ground. Again, they are 30th in the NFL, with only the Jaguars and Chargers worse against the run. They couldn’t contain the Bills (190 yards), Jags (175 yards) or Browns (140 yards) earlier this season.
So for an offense that designs a game plan for each opponent, this one screams for ground-and-pound. It’s the perfect setup.
“Whatever’s best for the team,” Lewis said. “Obviously, the run game helps the passing game, helps the overall offense. Hopefully we can get it rolling. Mike’s been doing well. We just have to keep pushing and try to make plays when we get the ball.”
During the first five games, the Patriots offense has been passheavy. The run-pass margins haven’t been close. It might help Brady, who’s been sacked 16 times and hit another 32, to try and have a more balanced attack.
“Some of the games this year, it’s been hard to run the ball,” Lewis said. “It might just be the circumstances of the game. The situations of the game are always different. You would always love to have equal balance run to pass. It helps the entire offense.
“But as a player, you just have to do your job and run the play that’s executed and do what’s best for the team.”
If the Pats are trailing, as was the case in the second half of the opener against the Chiefs, or if the score is tight, as it was against the Texans, Panthers and Buccaneers, perhaps you don’t run as much.
But early in the game against the New York Jets?
Run the ball. Unleash your weapon. Give the ball to Lewis. That’s the way to go today at the Meadowlands.
“Being a running back, I hope that’s the case,” he said. “Being a running back, you always want to run the ball and gain positive yards for the team. The more we run it, as a running back, you have no choice but to be happy with it and embrace it. That’s why we play the game.”
Special journey
On Friday at 8 p.m., NFL Network will premiere a one-hour special that documents Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s trip to Israel earlier this year. Kraft invited 18 Pro Football Hall of Famers to join him in the Holy Land.
The NFL Films presentation, titled “Touchdown in Israel,” is worth a look because it brings these legends together in a unique setting. Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, Cris Carter, Mar-