Lewis cracks century
RB runs for career-best 112 yards
FOXBORO — Hard to believe, but Dion Lewis finally joined the “100 Club” yesterday.
Lewis had 112 rushing yards during the Patriots’ 35-17 victory against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium, marking the first time in his career that he eclipsed the century mark.
And he didn’t really care. “Doesn’t mean anything to me,” Lewis said. “It happens. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen. I’ve just got to keep continuing to get better.”
Lewis had four prior games when he amassed 100 yards from scrimmage, but his previous career high in rushing was 95 against the Denver Broncos last year.
Lewis has led the Pats in rushing during each outing of their sevengame winning streak, so the round individual number was apparently just a token accomplishment.
“My job is just to protect the ball and make plays. That’s my job in this offense, and that’s what I try to do every game,” Lewis said. “The (offensive) line did a great job of blocking all game. The running game was definitely open all day, so I’ve got to take advantage of the space when I get it and then run hard for those guys.
Gentle ribbing
Trey Flowers had his most productive game of the season with two sacks and a forced fumble, but he finished his day in the locker room due to a rib injury.
A source said Flowers’ ribs aren’t broken, and he could be week-to-week based on pain tolerance. Flowers, who was injured in the third quarter but came back for the next drive before leaving again, tried to sidestep questions about the injury afterward.
“Just needed a rest,” he said. “Coach kind of gave me a little rest.”
Flowers now has a team-high six sacks this season and is one shy from matching his career high from 2016, when he also led the Pats. He has sustained plenty of quarterback hits and pressures this season, but he hadn’t had a full sack since Week 3. During that drought, he split a pair of sacks with Kyle Van Noy.
“Obviously, you want to get after the quarterback and get him down and make plays to help the team win,” Flowers said. “Throughout that span, we were winning, and a lot of guys were getting a lot of production. As long as we affect the quarterback and have him back there (with his) eyes on the rush instead of his targets, that’s a win for me.” ...
Regarding other injuries, LaAdrian Waddle left Gillette Stadium in a walking boot due to the ankle ailment. And Van Noy limped through the locker room after appearing to suffer a calf injury.
Trevor Reilly (concussion) and Nate Ebner (right knee) also left the game and didn’t return, and the feeling on Ebner is more of a longterm issue.
Makes the right read
Stephon Gilmore made his second-quarter interception sound as easy as it looked.
Gilmore jumped in front of DeVante Parker in the end zone to snatch away Matt Moore’s 15-yard scoring bid and keep the Patriots’ 21-10 lead intact. The cornerback said the Dolphins ran the same play in the first quarter, when he bumped Parker off his route, and he wanted to play off the line when they showed it again in the second quarter.
“A lot of teams run that route,” said Gilmore. “They ran it in the first quarter, and I knew it was coming. They came back to it. I pressed him the first time, and I played it off so I could see the ball the next time. I was able to beat him to the spot.”
How did he know?
“Just film study,” Gilmore said. “Offenses run the same stuff most of the time. They go back to what they know. Study enough, and you’ll make a play.”
Gilmore has been rolling for four games, and he sounded excited to return to Buffalo on Sunday.
“It’ll feel good,” Gilmore said. “They’ve got a pretty good team. They’re great players over there, but it’s going to be a challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”
Snap judgment
Ted Karras owned up to his snapping snafu.
Karras prematurely fired a shotgun snap to Tom Brady in the second quarter, and the ball rolled waywardly into the backfield as the quarterback was reading the field. The Dolphins’ Reshad Jones picked up the fumble and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-7.
“I just snapped it early,” said Karras, who started for David Andrews (illness) for the second game in a row. “That’s 100 percent on me. Kind of a nightmare, but we overcame it.”
Recipe for a score
Brandin Cooks scored his fifth touchdown of the season, and it was his second on a jet-sweep shovel pass. The 5-yard score gave the Patriots a 35-17 lead, as he eluded one defender and followed blocks by Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen to find the end zone.
Cooks was asked what has made that such a popular play of late.
“If I told you, I think I’d be giving away a lot of our secrets,” he said.