Dion Lewis Out For Season With Torn ACL

It looks like Dion Lewis, who missed the last two NFL seasons, is out of the game again. Yahoo News is reporting that the RB for the New England Patriots tore his ACL during Sunday’s game with the Washington Redskins. While the Patriots would go on to win the game 27-10, the injury suffered by Dion Lewis is now being placed on the injured reserve list and is expected to be benched for the rest of the season.

Dion Lewis made it about 2/3 of the way through the third quarter when he was tackled from behind by Washington’s Chris Baker. Lewis was clearly in extreme pain, but was able to walk himself off of the field and straight to the locker room.

This is bad news for both Dion Lewis himself and the rest of the team, who will be struggling to replace his skill and expertise as they struggle to work their way toward this season’s Superbowl. After Lewis found himself too injured to continue playing in Sunday’s game, he was replaced by Brandon Boldon, whose touchdown pass catch helped propel the New England Patriots to their 27-10 victory. There are other potential replacements for Dion Lewis on the Patriot’s roster, too. His teammate James White is much closer to the now — benched Dion’s style and skill-set, but he hasn’t gotten much play and no one’s very sure if he can hold up under the pressure of the gaping hole left by Lewis in a competitive, advancing season.

Sports Illustrated is reporting that there is a good chance that Dion Lewis being out of commission will result in LaGarrette Blount being utilized much more. Blount, who managed a career-high 29 carries and 129 rushing yards on Sunday after Lewis was injured might be just the ticket for the main RB position.

In addition to the RB possibilities already on the team, it’s also entirely possible that the New England Patriots could be out shopping for a free-agent running back, New England Sports News is reporting. With their star Dion Lewis out for the duration, the team is definitely looking into all of their options. Near the top of the list is Travaris Cadet, who joined the Patriots at training camp. He’s still available, and because he trained with the team including Dion Lewis, he might be an excellent addition to the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG107RFpad0

While individual player’s egos might be marginally important, right now it looks like the New England Patriots’ management is just trying to preserve the team’s undefeated, 8-0 season. Even if that will have to be accomplished without Dion Lewis. Even if it has to be done with a huge roster of rotating back-up RB’s.

Prior to Lewis tearing his ACL in Sunday’s game against the Redskins, he’d been dealing with a rocky game. Despite being favored by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, he’d already fumbled twice and dropped a few passes. Even so, he seemed to largely be pulling his own weight up until he was injured and hobbled off of the field.

Not surprisingly, news of Dion Lewis being out for the season has taken the internet by storm. Social media, sports media, and fantasy sports sites are being bombarded with opinions and queries, with fans and foes alike speculating about what the loss of Lewis will do to the Patriots and the league.

Without Dion Lewis, can Pats still go unbeaten? Absolutely. Brady can win with just about any receiver, RB or offensive lineman.

— Patriots Nation (@PatsNationNE) November 9, 2015

Hate to hear the expected bad news about Dion Lewis. Gone w/ ACL. Explosive little man with big heart. Pats won't be quite the same w/o him.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 9, 2015

Who would have thought in August that a season-ending injury to Dion Lewis would be so damn disappointing?

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) November 9, 2015

Only time, as they say, will tell. Most stalwart fans of the team think that the show will go on, that the Patriots will be able to hold down their supremacy even without Dion Lewis. Others, though, aren’t so sure. They see their star RB as irreplaceable, no matter how many free-agents are waiting in the wings. The rest of the season will answer the question of whether or not the New England Patriots can stay on top without Dion Lewis.

[Image Courtesy of Maddie Meyer / Getty Images]