When the New York Jets acquired James Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars after Breece Hall went down with a torn ACL injury, the expectation was that the third-year running back would be called on to be the team’s go-to talent at the position. However, this may not be the case after all.
Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is set to have three running backs to rely on for the remainder of the season with Robinson, Michael Carter, and also Ty Johnson. When it comes to just how he will set the rotation at the position, LaFleur plans to simply call on the “hot hand” to lead the way on the ground.
“You want to keep them as fresh, and again, I won’t use the Golden State analogy, but whoever has the hot hand, you try to roll with,” LaFleur said during a press conference on Thursday.
Robinson has been featuring in practice this week and is on par to make his debut with the Jets in their upcoming home matchup against the New England Patriots. Overall, LaFleur is much looking forward to seeing what Robinson will bring to the offense.
“I remember we played Cincinnati in about Week 7 or something like that, and Jacksonville played Cincinnati in Week 5 on a Thursday night,” LaFleur said. “So, you really got to examine that game.
“I remember him standing out, just his demeanor when he runs the football. He doesn’t mess around. He puts his foot in the ground. He gets north and south. As far as the man and the character, you guys will get to know him. … Real excited to have him, I thought it was a great job by Joe [Douglas] and his staff.”
Even with Robinson now in the fold at running back, LaFleur sees that Carter will still bring much to the team both on and off the field.
“We’re a young group, particularly on our side as we all know,” LaFleur said. “It’s well-documented. He’s above his years in terms of his demeanor and leadership and intangibles. He’s extremely important when he’s on the field, but more important when he’s off the field with the leadership he brings to such a young group.”
It will be noteworthy to see on just which Jets running back ends up leading the way in touches in the Week 8 contest against the Patriots.
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