For as brilliant as he’s been this season, Lewis’s injury doesn’t dent the Patriots Super Bowl hopes much, if at all.
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The second-year running back from Wisconsin has 16 carries and 12 catches in his career.
“Brandon did a good job for us”, said Belichick.
New England quarterback Tom Brady was on a roll, as he was able to complete 26 of 39 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, plus an eight-yard touchdown to Edelman during the opening drive.
In the meantime, the Patriots will have contend with their running back’s injury, which is certainly unfavorable news for a team which is having a fantastic run in 2015. This is a significant loss for the Patriots, who leaned on Lewis to make plays in the first half of the season. The Patriots were so impressed with what Lewis brought to the team in the early parts of the season that he was signed to a two-year extension in early October.
Defensive end Chandler Jones already got his due in these takeaways, but the front seven as a unit has been one of the best groups on the entire Patriots roster this season. Against Washington we saw the offense roll behind the powerful running of Blount. White is expected to factor into the team’s game plan moving forward.
When the game ended in New England, Gruden’s team was two games under.
Brandon Bolden took Lewis’ place in the Patriots lineup and had three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown. Bolden, in his fourth season, is familiar with the system in New England while White is a promising young player with a skill set close to Lewis’. Lewis suffered an abdomen injury in October that forced him to miss the Jets game. He is a slightly bigger body but displays similar shiftiness and tackle shaking ability.
Predicting the five offensive lineman for New England every game has been like shuffling a deck of cards and guessing what you will be dealt.
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“James is a guy who continues to get better”, he added. The NY Giants won later Sunday to improve to 5-4; the Eagles and Cowboys played later Sunday. Lewis may have been a flash in the pan, and maybe White and Bolden can keep that aspect of the offense alive. Belichick has a history of picking players up on waivers after the deadline, and I could see the Patriots looking out of the organization at either Travaris Cadet or Montee Ball as players that could serve as third-down backs.
