New England Patriots: Dion Lewis shining as primary runner

The New England Patriots won yet again on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. In the win, Dion Lewis continued to shine as the main running back.

Coming into the 2017 season, the New England Patriots had a lot of depth at the running back position. With no star in the backfield, it was expected that the Patriots were going to be using their four running backs all in different ways.

However, of the four running backs on the roster to start the season, it looked like Dion Lewis was going to be the afterthought. As a player that might not have been guaranteed a spot on the team coming into the offseason, Lewis has worked arguably harder than ever this season to get to where he is now.

Despite being barely involved in the offense the first few weeks of the season, Lewis stayed prepared for when his chance would come. When it did, Lewis took advantage and hasn’t looked back.

Due to the ineffectiveness of Mike Gillislee and an injury that sidelined Rex Burkhead for a few weeks, Lewis was able to prove that he should be the primary running back in New England. Despite a lot of expectations and hype coming into the season, Gillislee has been a healthy scratch the past few games.

As the man who was expected to fill the void left by LeGarrette Blount, Gillislee has been a big disappointment for the Patriots this season. However, Lewis has more than filled in as the main running back, and he is beginning to put together a really nice season.

Against the Dolphins on Sunday, Lewis was able to total a season-high 112 rushing yards on 15 carries. This is the sixth week in a row that Lewis has been in double figures for carries, as he has clearly become the primary runner in the backfield for the Patriots.

Overall this season, Lewis has now totaled 498 rushing yards with an impressive 5.1 yards per carry average. Even though Lewis might not be able to reach the 1,000-yard mark, he has been a great runner for the Patriots since they gave him the opportunity.

Next: Week 12 team grades vs. Dolphins

With the Patriots heading to the playoffs once again this season, having Lewis running the ball well should be a huge help in the postseason. In games that Lewis has totaled 10 or more carries, the Patriots are undefeated, as he has certainly been a big part of their success.