I’ll be the first to admit…I’ve been pretty critical of Dion Lewis over the last couple of seasons. In fact, I have no idea why I haven’t been blocked by the former Tennessee Titans running back yet. Probably because, like most of the internet, he has no idea that I exist and write hundreds of posts about the Titans every year.
But, I digress.
I’m here to talk about the possibility that maybe…just maybe…we’ve all been a little too hard on the guy. I was listening to The Wake-Up Zone on 104.5 The Zone a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely astonished to hear Blaine Bishop defending Dion Lewis vehemently. But, I think there’s a valid point in there somewhere.
I mean, he did amass 917 total yards (517 rushing, 400 receiving) on 214 touches in 2018 before the emergence of Derrick Henry as the best back in the NFL. That’s an average of 4.28 yards per play (3.3 per carry, 6.8 per catch). That’s not too shabby. It’s not like it was all bad, right? Am I the only one who thought his stats were way worse based solely on the attitude towards the guy on social media? Those aren’t terrible numbers worth being crucified over, right?!
The crux of the argument was essentially that Lewis never had a chance to develop a rhythm because he rarely saw the field in 2019. His production dropped from 214 touches in 2018 to just 79. Now, whether or not that’s because the coaching staff lost a little bit of faith in him is a valid question. But, he certainly couldn’t help that Henry took off the way he did.
Predictability has also been a criticism of Lewis’ role on the Titans as well. It felt like any time you saw Lewis on the field in 2019, you knew the checkdown was coming. The Titans’ opponent knew the checkdown was coming. Those 3rd down plays were always being blown up. But, there are so many variables that go into a play, that it’s hard to pin all of that on him. Not to mention, it wasn’t his fault that the coaches were calling the same or at least similar plays on what felt like EVERY third down.
Do they need an upgrade? A guy who can legitimately be the pass-catching back Lewis was supposed to be? Absolutely. Calling Lewis a disappointment? Even that is fair given what he was expected to be when the Titans signed him two years ago. But a total bust? Maybe that’s not entirely true or fair to the guy.
Just some food for thought, Titans fans. There ain’t a whole hell of a lot else to write about right now…
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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