Dion Lewis had one of the highlight plays of the day on Sunday, when the diminutive Patriots running back snagged a ball thrown behind him, juked a tackler, ducked underneath another defender, then exploded forward for five yards to get in the end zone. Cowboys were strewn around the ground around him as Lewis strutted away from the field in celebration.

It appeared the Patriots had found an explosive playmaker, one who gave Tom Brady and the high-powered Patriots offense another weapon. It also prompted a lot of people to ask: Where did they find this guy?

Call it Belichickian witchcraft or more cheating or whatever, but the Patriots have managed to find Lewis — who a year ago was out of professional football — and give the 25-year-old a chance. He’s seized the opportunity, and is now the Patriots most used running back. On Sunday, he was on the field for 43 of 60 offensive snaps. LeGarrette Blount, who many assumed would be the Patriots starting running back, was only on the field for 17.

Lewis entered the NFL when he was drafted by the Eagles out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. He was never given that many chances in Philadelphia, only getting 23 rush attempts as a rookie and then just 13 attempts in his second season, after which he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Soon after he broke his leg, missing the entire season before being cut by the Browns.

A year later in September 2014, the Colts signed Lewis, only to release him seven days later. He sat out the season, working out, unable to find an NFL team.

Then the Patriots decided to take a chance on him.

Lewis always had the pedigree to be great in the NFL. Before his sophomore season at Pitt, Sporting News called Lewis “the game’s most complete runner.” He had elite speed, and while he was undersized at 5-7, many experts thought he could be a game-changer in the NFL.

As with so many great athletes, he just needed a chance, and the Patriots had the good sense to recognize his talent when he joined up with the team before the season. With no firmly entrenched starting running back (Blount joined the Patriots last year just before the playoffs after he had been cut by the Steelers), the Patriots were willing to keep Lewis with the team and see what he could do.

That gamble is now paying off in a big way.

Here’ Bill Belichick on Lewis:

“Dion’s been giving us a lot of productive plays, both running and passing. Some inside plays, some outside plays, some run-after-catch plays. He’s been doing it for us all year. He’s a hard guy to tackle.”

If you don’t speak Belichickian, realize that that is one of the nicest things he’s ever said about one of his players. That is Belichick’s version of ebullient praise.

Lewis’ rise to No. 1 RB for the defending Super Bowl champions is evidence that there is talent out there for NFL teams to find, they just need to be smart enough to identify it and then understand how to put these players in a position to succeed. The Indianapolis Colts had Lewis on their roster a year ago in a season when they desperately needed a competent running back, but for whatever reason, be it roster needs or a failure to identify talent, they weren’t able to put him to work.

The Patriots play the Colts next week, and while both teams have had this game circled for months after the Deflategate scandal, it will carry a little extra special meaning for Lewis.