HOUSTON — It looked bad. Torn ACL-level bad.
On the final play of regulation in Super Bowl LI, New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis took a handoff from Tom Brady on a gimmick play — a fake kneel-down — and darted toward the left sideline in a low-percentage attempt to end the game before overtime.
Just before Lewis reached the boundary, his right cleat caught in the NRG Stadium turf, causing him to careen out of bounds, where he remained down for several moments. As the training staff attended to him, Patriots fans feared the worst: another devastating knee injury for a player who’s just a year removed from a season-ending ACL tear.
Luckily for the Patriots, Lewis’ injury scare was just that — a scare.
Lewis did not play a snap in the overtime period, but he was on the field celebrating with his teammates after James White’s 1-yard touchdown run gave the Patriots a 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in arguably the greatest Super Bowl ever played.
The Patriots announced Lewis had suffered a hamstring injury. Asked after the game how he was feeling, the shifty back smiled and said, “I feel great now.”
“It was my hamstring,” Lewis added. “I’m good. It’s not my knee — I’m OK. I’m going to be good in about two weeks.”
Lewis carried the ball six times for 27 yards in the game and caught one pass for 2 yards. The Patriots still have not lost with him in the lineup, going a perfect 17-0 over the last two seasons.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
