Just a little FYI, Jacksonville has a top 10 rushing defense. They are only allowing 92 yards per game, and 4 of their 5 games have been against teams ranked 14th or higher in rushing in the NFL, Dallas #4, Washington #7, Pittsburgh #8, Indy #14, and the Jets #21. Holding those 5 teams to an average of 92 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry is VERY impressive. When you can hold teams like that to less than 100 yards per game rushing, what do you think they will do to our #32 ranked rushing game? They are going to eat our running game alive. And 3.5 yards per carry isn't all that great to begin with in the NFL, and we're only averaging 3.0 yards per carry.
That's my point. I couldn't(and didn't) say it any better.
I hope our fans understand that if we avg 3.5 ypc come Sunday, then our team did as well as every other team that faced Jacksonville so far this year. If we are going to gain 100 yards on the ground, we are going to have to run the ball 28 times.
While it's not a good run game, we have done as well as everybody else in the league against some of the best defenses in the league.... Remember, DwightFreeney played against us.
#11 Philly allows 3.6ypc 28.5 att/game & 103.5 yds/g
We achieved 3.5 ypc on 20 att & 70 yards.
We definitely should have run the ball more to keep Philly (an explosive offense) off the field
#32 Indy allows 5.2 ypc 24.3 att/game & 166 yds/g
We achieved 4.7 ypc on 23 atts & 108 yds/g
We had 5 offensive possesions in the first half, rushing for 51 yards on 13 carries (3.9 ypc) and only put 3 points on the scoreboard.
#14 Wash allows 3.8 ypc 29.3 att/game & 111 yds/g
We achieved 3.4 ypc on 18 atts & 61 yds/g
10 carries, for 38 yards (3.8 ypc) in the first half. we are only down by 14. we get the ball after the half, go 3 & out (1 carry for 2 yards, incomplete, incomplete) then our defense gives up another 7. our QB fumbles the ball to the redskins, we go down by 24 as our defense holds them to a field goal.
Ron Dayne gets 2 more carries, one for 11 yards, and one for 5 yards. but it's garbage time now, everybody is padding their stats.
Our defense sucked, but our offense was flat until the 4th Qtr... although our Running game was fair to middle the entire game.
#3 Miami allows 3.2 ypc 22.8 att/game & 93.3 yds/g
We achieved 2.0 ypc on 33 atts & 65 yards
33 attempts, even though we avg'd 2.0 ypc, mainly because we ran in obvious situations to kill the clock, 3 of which was after the 2 minute warning to end the 1st half. 4 of those are from our QB(who had 4 carries for a -8 yards) who nealed the ball twice to run the clock out at the end of the game.
#2 Dallas allows 2.7 ypc 26.0 att/game & 67.0 yds/g
We achieved 2.0 ypc on 17 atts for 34 yards.
This was a tough game, we controlled the ball in the first half, partly due to running the ball.... even though it was for little to no gain. We were on the field, they weren't. we went into the half, leading 6-3.
RonDayne started the game with 7 carries for 12 yards, but because of two penalties that negated what could have been big yards, we should get credit(??) for an extra 20 yards, but since one penalty was inside the 10(possibly saving a touchdown) we only get half the distance to the goal. Yeah, he didn't punch it in from the one, but our QB stared down his reciever and gave dallas the ball on our 23 yard line.... so it kinda evens out.
RonDayne only gets the ball 3 more times, because of said INT, another INT, and our special teams giving the ball away.
Those 3 carries were for 4 yards(2nd & 6, he sets us up for 3rd & 2), -1 yard(3rd & 1 he is hit in the backfield, by CCanty & MarcusSpears), and no gain(3rd & 1, RoyWilliams made a great play, which we actually should've taken advantage of since he rocketed to the LOS everytime he saw Davids back.).