Patriots invincible with Dion Lewis in lineup and here's record to prove it

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In 2015, when he was signed by the New England Patriots, running back Dion Lewis hadn’t played a snap in an NFL game in over two years. Traded to Cleveland in 2013 by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’d been a fifth-round pick a couple of years earlier, Lewis suffered a broken leg and missed the entire season. In 2014, he was a September signing by the Indianapolis Colts, only to be released a week later.

So there was little expected from the 5-foot-8 back when he arrived in New England, signed on the recommendation of then-Patriots adviser Mike Lombardi, who was in the Browns’ front office when he was dealt there.

But the Patriots quickly discovered they had a dual threat in Lewis, a la Kevin Faulk, the man who previously inhabited the No. 33 jersey for New England.

Over his first seven games of last season, Lewis averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 49 attempts, and had 36 catches. And New England was 7-0 with him in the lineup.

Lewis tore his ACL in Week 8, and missed the remainder of the season. Reportedly, the bone graft done during the ACL repair created a stress point on his kneecap; eventually, the kneecap broke from the stress, and Lewis had to undergo a second surgery to repair the bone.

He began this season on the physically unable to perform list, and didn’t play until the 10th game of the season, on Nov. 20 against the San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots managed Lewis’ workload over his first month back, but increased his touches over the final three games.

And then came Saturday night.

Playing in his first career playoff game, Lewis scored three of the Patriots’ four touchdowns in their 34-16 win over the Houston Texans, playing a big role in getting the team to the AFC championship game for a record sixth straight time.

He opened the game’s scoring with a 13-yard reception, became the first player in Patriots history to score a postseason kickoff return touchdown late in the first quarter – a 98-yard runback – and in the fourth quarter added a 1-yard touchdown run.

According to pro-football-reference.com, Lewis is the only player since 1950 to score by kickoff return, reception and rush in the same playoff game.

But Lewis also fumbled twice, the first coming on the second kickoff he fielded, a ball that was recovered by the Texans and led to Houston’s first touchdown two plays later. With that touchdown and a field goal coming in quick succession, Houston was down by just a point, 14-13, and made a game so many believed would be a blowout.

Lewis lost the ball again late in the game, on a third-down carry, though this time it was recovered by left guard Joe Thuney.

After the game, those mistakes were all Lewis focused on.

“The touchdowns, they’re nice and they helped the team win, but I’ll focus on the negative, because those plays could have hurt our team,” he said when asked what he’d be thinking about when he went to sleep.

He insisted he won’t reflect on his journey, the one that saw him bounce around three different teams, first desperate for the opportunity to play more with the Eagles, and then desperate for another chance as he waited for a team to call him.

“The only thing I’m thinking about is ways that I could protect the ball better so that won’t happen again. That’s what I’m thinking about right now,” he said.

But at least one of his teammates was more than happy to say he’s thrilled for Lewis, All-Pro special teamer Matthew Slater.

“I’m going to go to bed tonight thinking about his house call. What was it, 98 yards?” Slater asked. “I’m going to be thinking about that.

“Look, I understand that Dion’s feeling the way he is, but he played great tonight. We wouldn’t have been in the game without him.

“You talk about a guy who’s been through so much as a professional – injuries and overcoming a lot of different odds, a lot of people would say he’s too small to play. But he’s a guy that’s really dedicated himself to his craft, he hit that rehab so hard; I was here working with him, and to see him working day-in and day-out like that, I’m so happy for him that he’s having the success he’s having now. It’s not by accident that Dion Lewis is where he is, doing what he’s doing. Really happy to be his teammate.”

Emmanuel Acho, the linebacker whom the Eagles received from the Browns in the trade that sent Lewis to Cleveland, took a moment to remind everyone of the transaction on Twitter on Saturday night:

Perhaps even more remarkable than Lewis’ NFL survival story and his touchdown hat trick in his first playoff game: the Patriots still haven’t lost with him in uniform: 15 games and counting.

“I have a great team, a great coach and a great quarterback, so it ain’t just me,” Lewis said. “Believe that.”

Slater, when told of the Patriots’ 15-0 mark with Lewis on the field, turned superstitious.

“Don’t say that. Don’t say that. Don’t say that. We’re not going to talk about that,” he said with a smile.