Patriots' Dion Lewis: Health not a factor in Sunday deactivation

Coach Bill Belichick indicated Lewis's health was not a factor in the running back being made inactive Sunday night against the Seahawks.

Analysis:

The Patriots did not have to list Lewis on their Week 10 injury report because he wasn't on the team's active roster until he was removed from the PUP list Saturday. That said, Belichick suggested Monday that Lewis "wouldn't have been on the injury report" if he had been activated by Friday. The decision to shelve Lewis for Sunday's game was thus motivated by a desire not to rush things with a player coming off ACL surgery and a subsequent clean-up procedure. Lewis' next chance to suit up in a game will arrive this coming Sunday against the 49ers. If he is made active for that contest, we'd expect Lewis to be eased back into the team's backfield mix, a scenario that would limit his Week 11 fantasy upside.