Patriots’ Lewis sets record, has one regret in AFC playoff victory
This was a player nobody wanted.
Dion Lewis was nearly out of football. A 2011 fifth-round pick, the running back bounced around from the Philadelphia Eagles to a training camp tour with the hapless Cleveland Browns, who released him on cut day 2014. He signed on for a oneweek stint with the Indianapolis Colts.
Eventually, the New England Patriots brought him in for a tryout and signed him in the 2015 offseason.
Now, he’s one of the key players on their latest Super Bowl run.
Lewis was the spark in New England’s dominant 34-16 victory against the Houston Texans on Saturday night in the AFC divisional playoffs, scoring three touchdowns.
Early in the first quarter, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady saw that he had Lewis in one-on-one coverage with Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney — an obvious mismatch — and tossed a short pass in the flat to Lewis, who scampered past McKinney and into the end zone from 13 yards.
It was Lewis’ first touchdown since Oct. 29, 2015.
“He’s a phenomenal player and a great asset to our team,” wide receiver Julian Edelman said.
Lewis became the first player in NFL history to score touchdowns via catch, rush and kickoff return in a postseason game.
“It feels good,” Lewis told reporters. “But I’m not really thinking about that. Obviously the touchdowns and everything is nice because we won. That’s the most important thing — that we won. I just feel bad. I feel like I let my team down a little bit tonight.”
In a game in which Lewis accounted for more than half of his team’s points, he was disappointed because of one play. On the kickoff after his kick-return TD, Lewis fumbled and Houston recovered at the New England 12yard line. Two plays later, the Texans scored a touchdown to pull within one point.
Aside from the scores, Lewis’ impact wasn’t as obvious. He ran 13 times for 41 yards and added two receptions on seven targets for 23 yards.
Lewis made his season debut in Week 11 against the San Francisco 49ers, and, entering Saturday, he had played only 163 offensive snaps.
The strategy was twofold. The Patriots were easing him back into a regular rotation after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Week 9 last season, and they were keeping him fresh with fellow running back LeGarrette Blount taking on the lead-back role for most of the season.
The Patriots host the winner of Sunday night’s division game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Even better news for the franchise? In the games in which Lewis has played for the Patriots, New England is 15-0.
“He was working really hard last year at this time when the team was at the end of the season and in the playoffs last year,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “This year he has an opportunity to play. I’m happy for him. He’s worked hard. He earned it.”