The Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-8, last in the AFC South Division. This is not where the team wanted to be after advancing all the way to the AFC Championship game last year. They look to improve on that record on Sunday when they face the Indianapolis Colts. Jacksonville will not have the services of running back Leonard Fournette.
Fournette was ejected last week for fighting. In the 3rd quarter against Buffalo, a game the Jaguars would lose 24-21, Fournette and Bills’ defensive end Shaq Lawson ended up fighting. Both were ejected and are suspended this week due to the scuffle. Fournette appealed but the suspension was upheld.
Fournette should be sitting. He left the sideline to fight Lawson and he let his emotions get the best of him. Fournette needed to let it go and stay on the sideline. Trash talking on the field is fine but once he left his bench and raised a fist, nothing good was going to come of it. Fournette hurt his team now that he will be out this week. The NFL had no choice but to sustain the suspension.
The Jacksonville offense will miss his presence on the field. Fournette is hard to bring down once he carries the football. His size at 6 feet and 228 pounds allows him to bounce off of defenders. It takes a few of them to bring him down. This season Fournette’s numbers aren’t impressive on the ground with 314 rush yards and 4 touchdowns.
He helps the passing game. Fournette sneaks out into the open field and Bortles finds him for him to catch the football. Those gains are usually for 1st downs. His total yards receiving are 134 with 1 touchdown but his average is an impressive 9.6 yards.
This is not the first time this year Jacksonville didn’t suit up Fournette. Fournette missed 6 games after hurting his hamstring.
The Jaguars will go with backup running back T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde. Yeldon’s numbers aren’t great in terms of rushing yards with 385. When he runs the football, his average yards per rush is 4.2 which will make 2nd and 3rd downs easier to gain. Hyde will be in the game when Yeldon wants a rest. Hyde has a total of 475 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns.
The Jaguars may miss Fournette’s production this week especially if it is a close loss. At least he will be back next week. Hopefully the next time Fournette will be smarter and not leave the bench to smack an opponent and start a fight. When this occurs not only does it hurt Fournette, but his teammates since he can’t be out there to help them win a game.
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