Dion Lewis is the Most Talented Patriots Running Back of the Tom Brady Era

                Countless running backs have thrived for the New England Patriots since Tom Brady took over the starting quarterback duties in 2001.

                The most prominent fixture in the running back rotation of the Brady-era, Kevin Faulk was utilized primarily as a pass-catching back. Faulk spent his entire 13-year (1999-2011) career with the franchise and was elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

                Short-term former workhorses include two-time Super Bowl champion  Antowain Smith (2001-03), 2004 Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Corey Dillon (2004-06), Lawrence Maroney (2006-09)—who rushed for over 100 yards in consecutive playoff games following the 2007 perfect regular season—BenJarvus Green-Ellis (2008-2011), Stevan Ridley (2011-14) and two-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount (2013, 2014-16).

                Now an afterthought in the Patriots current running back corps, James White put together one of the best performances in Super Bowl history just 11 months ago—catching 14 passes for 110 yards and a score, and turning six carries into 29 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots’ historic comeback win in Super Bowl LI.

                Rex Burkhead has looked tremendous when healthy this season and even Mike Gillislee, a frequent healthy scratch, managed five touchdowns on the year.

                But White, Burkhead and Gillislee didn’t come close to the production of Dion Lewis, the team’s lead back after starting out the year fourth-string in the rotation. Statistics aside, they simply can’t measure up talent wise to Lewis—in fact, no running back from the Brady-era can.

                Lewis—who carried the ball a career-high 26 times for 93 yards and a touchdown with a season-high six receptions for 40 yards and another score in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets—is as dynamic and complete a player as running backs come. He rarely gets brought down by the first would-be tackler. He forced 49 missed tackles and registered 3.17 yards after contact, both team-highs, according to Pro Football Focus. Even more impressive, Lewis ranked first in Pro Football Focus’ “elusive rating,” which combines missed tackles and yards after contact.

                A force in the passing game, Lewis did not drop a single pass (35 targets) all season, one of only 11 players to see more than 30 targets without dropping a pass. In terms of catch rate, he ranked first (91.4%) in the league among qualified players.

                Not only is Lewis an elite ball-carrier and pass-catcher, he also excels as a blocker in pass protection. He did not allow any QB hurries on 35 blocks this season. Lewis and teammate James Develin, a Pro Bowl selection, were two of four players to not allow any pressures among qualified halfbacks and fullbacks.

                The explosiveness of Lewis is matched by few running backs across the league. He has all the makings of a superstar, and proved that by totaling four touchdowns in the past two weeks in which he has been given a full workload in the backfield. 

                Lewis is a free agent in the offseason and could be in line for a big payday elsewhere. So before the Patriots go for their third Lombard Trophy in four seasons, let’s take a chance to recognize how special a player Lewis has been this year—just in case the most talented Patriots running back (since Brady has been under center) departs after the season.

Thursday Night Football: New York Jets at New England Patriots

The Jets and Patriots will battle under the lights at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night for supremacy in the AFC East. Neither team has the chance to revel in their respective season-opener wins with a quick three day turnaround for this divisional contest. Both teams were able to steal a victory from their opponent in Week 1.

Tom Brady led a late-game drive in the fourth quarter in Buffalo that featured a heavy dose of wide receiver Danny Amendola (four receptions for 26 yards on the drive) to set up Stephen Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining to seal a 23-21 victory over the Bills.

The Jets, meanwhile, looked doomed after Buccaneers kicker Rian Linder connected on a 37-yard field goal with 34 seconds left to give the visitors a 17-15 lead. Rookie QB Geno Smith led a miraculous (and very lucky) drive that started on the team's 20 yard-line. Smith first hit tight end Kellen Winslow for a 25-yard pass. The Bucs were able to put pressure on Smith on the next play, but he was able to roll out to the right and scrambled out of bounds to the Bucs 45-yard line where he was pushed by Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David, who was charged with a personal foul after committing the most boneheaded play in recent NFL memory. The 15-yard penalty put the ball at the Bucs 30 yard line, setting up a 48-yard field goal as time expired for Nick Folk as the Jets won in improbable fashion, 18-17.

Here are the key actors to watch for Jets vs. Patriots on Thursday Night Football:

Can Patriots Continue AFC East Dominance?

            The Patriots have ripped off 11 straight wins in the division since losing at Buffalo in Week 3 of the 2011 season. The Pats have now won 24 of 26 against the Bills after defeating them at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday. The Pats have had their way with the Jets over the past decade-plus as well. Brady has posted a 17-4 record since taking over as the starting quarterback. The two teams split the season-series in 2008 when Brady was injured for the season, giving the Patriots an 18-5 edge in the series over the past 12 seasons.

Who will Brady Throw to?

            The Patriots’ injuries continue to pile up. Danny Amendola suffered a groin injury in the first half against the Bills on Sunday. He was able to return and help spearhead the game-winning drive alongside Brady to seal the win, but the wide receiver is listed as doubtful for the Patriots home-opener. Rob Gronkowski is still not ready to suit up and his replacement tight end, Zach Suddfeld, is battling a hamstring issue after struggling mightily in his first career NFL game. Wide receiver Aaron Dobson hopes to play on Thursday night after missing the season-opener in Buffalo. Dobson could play an integral role in the Patriots banged-up offense, along with slot wideout Julian Edelman, who hauled in 7 receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns versus the Bills.

Can Stevan Ridley Redeem Himself?

Shane Vereen, who ran for 101 yards on 14 carries versus the Bills, must undergo wrist surgery that will keep him out until at least Week 10. Stevan Ridley, the purported No.1 tailback on the roster, was benched after coughing up a fumble in the second quarter that Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy scooped up for a 74-yard touchdown. Ridley will now get the bulk of the carries versus the Jets, who he torched for 97 yards and a TD on 21 attempts this past Thanksgiving. LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden and return-man Leon Washington should also receive a decent amount of touches out of the backfield for the Patriots.

Can Geno Smith Pull off the Unthinkable?

The Jets enter Foxboro as huge underdogs, especially with a rookie quarterback under-center. After defeating EJ Manuel and the Bills on Sunday, the Patriots improved their record to 14-4 against rookie QB's since 2000. Smith went 24 of 38 for 256 yards with a TD, interception and fumble in his NFL debut, but the Jets were able to win on Sunday on the strength of their defense as defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson put constant pressure on Bucs QB Josh Freeman. Smith played decent in the role as a game-managing quarterback on Sunday, but if he hopes to upset the Patriots he will have to provide much more in the passing game. The Jets cannot simply rely on their defense to beat New England; their offense must be in-sync and should look to attack a Patriots’ secondary that has yet to prove they have upgraded from last season.

Prediction:

            The Patriots are still a dominant team, despite their narrow victory against the young Buffalo Bills. To that point, the Jets are still one of the NFL’s doormats, even though they were able to pull off a win in Week 1.

Patriots 31, Jets 14