Lewis success no surprise
Ex-Pat hits ground running with Titans
FOXBORO — There’s a present on the way for Christopher Harmon.
But don’t tell him. It’s a surprise.
Like so many throughout New England, Christopher, the 7-year-old son of Patriots safety Duron Harmon, was immediately captivated by Dion Lewis and his unbelievable change-of-direction skills.
Like most Patriots fans, Chris is keeping tabs on No. 33 in Tennessee. He’ll soon have the Titans jersey to wear to school, too.
“He loved Dion, still talks about him to this day,” Harmon said. “So I bought him the jersey. He doesn’t know it yet.”
Patriots fans will always have fond memories of Lewis, who became an overnight superstar three seasons ago. Lewis joined the Patriots in 2015 with 192 total yards to his name in four NFL seasons, one of which was lost to a broken leg. He exploded for 258 yards in his first two games as a Patriot.
He suffered a torn ACL midway through 2015, then an additional setback in his knee the following summer. He was buried on the depth chart and seemed to be in danger of getting cut at the start of the 2017 season. Of course, Lewis rose up to claim the No. 1 running back job by October, led the NFL in rushing over the second half of the season, and re-established himself as a dominant force.
As Lewis spun out of tackles with absurd regularity last winter, it was becoming clear that his remarkable run in New England was nearing its end.
Lewis was in a contract year, and the Patriots hadn’t expressed interest in an extension. They were OK letting him walk.
Lewis was aided by the overall excellence of the Patriots’ scheme, sure. But he wasn’t a product of the system.
He’s actually the entire system for the Titans right now.
“He was going to have success wherever he went,” White said.
“Obviously we have great play-callers here in Josh McDaniels and a great offense, but he was the one running the ball, he was the one making the yards after contact,” Harmon said. “He was catching the ball. He was returning the kickoffs. It was him. He’s a really good football player.”
Lewis inked a four-year deal with the Titans that pays him north of $10 million in the first two seasons. The Pats opted to instead resign Rex Burkhead, who will take home just over $6.5 million in 2018 and 2019. They saved cash there.
But the Pats couldn’t count on Burkhead to be the No. 1 back, so they spent a first-round pick on Sony Michel. It’s looked like a fine selection so far. If Lewis was re-signed, perhaps they wouldn’t have addressed the position in Round 1.
What’s clear right now: Lewis remains in the prime of his career.
He’s no longer in a timeshare with Derrick Henry. In his past two games, Lewis has averaged 21 touches for 138.5 yards from scrimmage. The Titans have realized they do exactly one thing well on offense.
And that’s give the ball to Lewis.
“He’s a pro,” said Titans coach Mike Vrabel. “He’s a productive player. He’s wellprepared, instinctive, smart.”
“He’s a fiery guy, a little jitterbug,” said Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. “He worked hard. He’s a baller. He meant a lot to me when he was here.”
Bill Belichick is famous for eliminating the opponent’s No. 1 option. That’s Lewis this week, without question. For years Josh McDaniels devised strategies to get Lewis in space against linebackers.
This weekend, Belichick and Brian Flores share the unenviable task of figuring out how to contain him.