The New England Patriots lost a valuable weapon in Sunday’s win over the Washington Redskins, as running back Dion Lewis tore his ACL via a non-contact injury. Lewis was injured with 5:35 left in the third quarter, following a 14 yard gain on a short pass; he took a step to attempt a cut to evade a defender, had his left leg buckle, and then Lewis immediately went to the ground without any contact by a Washington defender.
BREAKING: @Patriots RB @DionLewisRB (torn ACL) will miss the rest of the season.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 9, 2015
Dion Lewis Tears ACL
Even with the depth of talent the team possesses, the loss of Lewis will be a tough one for the Patriots to absorb, as he had been one of the best pass catching producers out of the backfield in the league; accumulating 234 yards rushing (4.8 yards per carry), 36 receptions, 388 yards and four total touchdowns in only seven games this season
The injury will create shockwaves in fantasy circles, as Lewis had arguably been one of the fantasy MVPs of the season up to this point; being undrafted in many leagues, Lewis was a waiver claim that was producing top 10 running back numbers in point-per-reception formats, while still be a top 20 commodity in standard scoring leagues.
Many fantasy owners will be scrambling to fill the hole in their roster with the likely real life replacement for Lewis, which appeared to be Brandon Bolden based on the end of the game on Sunday, where Bolden had a 12-yard run, plus three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown. James White may be in line for extra snaps as well, White filled in during Week 7 when Lewis was out with an injury to his abdomen, accumulating 30 yards on five touches.
Main Image:
CHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 28: Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots runs against the Carolina Panthers during their preseason NFL game at Bank of America Stadium on August 28, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
