Report: Patriots lose running back Dion Lewis for season with ACL injury

For a player who had missed the past two NFL seasons, Dion Lewis’ absence from the New England Patriots down the stretch can’t be understated.

According to the Boston Globe, Lewis suffered a torn ACL in the win over the Washington Redskins and will be placed on injured reserve, shutting him down for the remainder of the season.

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Lewis, 25, came out of nowhere to carve out a critical role for the Patriots as a runner and receiver. In seven games, he had run 49 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns and caught 36 passes for 388 yards and two more touchdowns — way surpassing his career totals this season since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2011.

Although Lewis had fumbled twice and dropped some passes, he clearly was a favorite of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and had earned both of their trust before suffering the non-contact injury in the second half in Week 9. 

Who replaces Lewis? It’s too soon to tell. Brandon Bolden took over down the stretch on Sunday and caught a touchdown pass to help seal the 27-10 victory. He’s one candidate, along with former fourth-round pick James White, who has played sparsely but whose skill set is most similar to that of Lewis. LeGarrette Blount surely remains the workhorse back but might add a few more receptions to his role.

And like with Blount when he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers late last season, immediately joining the Patriots, the team could look for a free-agent addition to help fill Lewis’ void. Travaris Cadet, who is currently unemployed, was with the team in training camp and could fill the Lewis skill set somewhat well.

And if there’s a team that might consider signing Ray Rice — able to deflect any possible backlash that might follow, the Patriots could be that team. Belichick is close with former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, who coached Rice in college, and could opt to kick those tires.

After all, Lewis came from nowhere to be a key player … couldn’t that happen again? If there’s a team that finds gems under rocks, it’s New England.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm