T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory are keys to beating Chiefs
T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory haven’t performed as expected and if the Jacksonville Jaguars hope to beat a playoff contender like the Kansas City Chiefs they need to open up the run.
The Jacksonville Jaguars run the ball less than any other team in the NFL. Unsurprisingly, they’re also the third-worst team in raw rushing yards. Through seven games that is clearly a trend that needs to be corrected.
New offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett needs to change that for the good of the team. More importantly, he needs to change it to get some wins on the board.
The Jags running backs, T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory, are talented but they need to prove they can run it against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs will be content to let the Jacksonville Jaguars throw the ball with turnover prone quarterback Blake Bortles. It’s up to the Jaguars to prove they can be more than one dimensional.
That means the offensive line must improve its run blocking so that Yeldon and Ivory can average more than 3.5 and 3.2 yards per rush, respectively. If the running game can actually move the ball forward and maybe even move the chains, they’ll be able to set the tone.
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This is easier to say than to do. The Chiefs defense is formidable, even if its rushing defense is just middle of the road (13th in attempts, 19th in yards allowed). They’ve only allowed more than 120 yard on the ground in two games this season.
The talent is there for the running backs to produce, though. With some innovation on the offensive side – hopefully provided by Hackett – the Jaguars could find new success on the ground. It’s a way to dictate the pace of the game, keep Andy Reid‘s inventive offense on the sidelines, and extend drives, allowing the defense to stay fresh and play fast.
It’s tough to overstate how key Yeldon and Ivory will be in this game. A playoff contender is a tough test for a rebuilding team like the Jaguars but it isn’t insurmountable if they execute.
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