LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis Are Perfect 1-2 Punch in Patriots Backfield

Stop the search to find the perfect nickname for the New England Patriots' duo of running backs, LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis. Look no further than a delicious Midwestern restaurant chain that provides steak burgers and milkshakes in a diner-esque setting at an affordable price.

Of course, I'm talking about "Steak 'n Shake."

In case it wasn't obvious, Blount's hard-running style is the "steak," and Lewis' jitterbug style and slipperiness make him the "shake." 

It's a stylistic pairing that's similar to many we've seen over the years: Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen; BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead; Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk. It's not, however, a pairing that is unique to New England.

Other teams have been putting together their own Steak 'n Shake combinations for years, and one of the most prominent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pairing of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott from 1996-2006. 

"I love the Warrick Dunn/Mike Alstott comparison," Blount said after the Patriots' 51-17 beatdown of the Jacksonville Jaguars. "They were two of the best that ever had that kind of running style, with the big back and the other back. Me and Dion kind of do our own thing, and we complement each other really well. He does his things really well, and I do my things really well, and that's the perfect combination. You can't beat it."

Week	Car	Yds	TD	Rec	Yds	TD	YScm
1	15	69	0	4	51	0	120
2	9	44	1	6	98	0	142
3	26	115	4	6	44	0	159
Total	50	228	5	16	193	0	421

So far, we've only seen the Blount-Lewis combination once in three games. Blount was suspended for the first game of the 2015 season and picked up just four yards on two carries against the Buffalo Bills in a game plan that focused heavily on the passing game.

Against the Jaguars, though, Steak 'n Shake had its coming-out party. The two backs combined for 159 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns. This season so far, Lewis and Blount have combined for 421 yards from scrimmage and five total scores.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Lewis played 28 of the team's 36 offensive snaps in the first half against just eight snaps in the first half for Blount. The initial game plan called for a lot of passing (23 pass attempts versus 12 rush attempts). The second half was Blount time, as the big back earned 21 of the team's 45 snaps, and Lewis earned just seven, with the Patriots shifting to more of a ball-control strategy (19 passes, 18 rushes, excluding kneeldowns at the end of the game).

It was an effective strategy, and the Patriots were able to double their rushing production from the week before (56 rushing yards versus the Buffalo Bills, 125 versus Jacksonville). 

But as we know by now, it's never just about the rushing production.

Stew Milne/Associated Press

It's about putting different backs on the field that can give the Patriots a desirable matchup, or who can best execute the game plan in a specific situation. Lewis has been catching the ball at all levels of the field: six behind the line of scrimmage, seven from 0-9 yards past the line of scrimmage, one at 10-19 yards downfield and one more 20-plus yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.

"Dion does a lot of things well," Blount said. "He can catch the ball, runs routes and does that well. And, obviously, you know what I can do."

The Patriots did most of their damage running off-tackle on Sunday, with 21 carries for 95 yards either off left or right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. Most of that was on power runs with Blount taking the ball to the outside, running behind the solid blocks of tight end Rob Gronkowski.

We all know that the Patriots love to change their game plan and focus on different personnel based on their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. With an athletic scatback like Lewis and a powerful hammer like Blount, the Patriots have the flexibility to go back and forth between running styles or to shine the spotlight on one style in particular.  

The offense is already tough enough to stop with Tom Brady tearing up opposing defenses. If Steak 'n Shake continues to bring their blend of hard-nosed and quick-twitch running, the running game could serve as the ultimate complement to the passing game in 2015.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.