The Jacksonville Jaguars were unable to get back into the win column after being flat-out dominated by the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. It seems head coach Doug Marrone has some regrets about running back Leonard Fournette's lack of usage.
Instead, Marrone opted to take full advantage of quarterback Nick Foles' return with a pass-heavy approach. He admits not relying on Fortunette was a huge mistake on his part, via John Oehser of the team’s website:
“That was my mistake. That was a big mistake by me. . . . I thought we needed to score points in a quicker fashion,” Marrone said. “That’s what led to the increased pass attempts. That’s on me as a head coach. We need to be more balanced moving forward. Believe me, I know more than anyone that a strong rushing attack will open things up in the pass game. I know it works hand in hand. I know we’re frustrated. I know Leonard’s frustrated.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Marrone's comments. The Jaguars offense mustered up just 145 yards of total offense heading into halftime and it was not long before Indianapolis was able to extend their lead and successfully force Jacksonville to abandon the run down the stretch.
As a result, Fournette registered a season-low 23 yards on a mere eight carries. It was the first time in the 2019 NFL season that he did not receive double-digit carries. Regardless, it is clear that Marrone does not plan on making the same mistake on the road against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Going back to a run-heavy approach could also potentially pay huge dividends for Foles in the passing game.
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