Doug Marrone admits ‘big’ mistake in Leonard Fournette’s low Week 11 usage
The Jacksonville Jaguars got clobbered in an important divisional game on Sunday, and coach Doug Marrone thinks he knows where he went wrong.
Speaking this week after the team’s 33-13 loss to Indianapolis in Week 11, Marrone admitted he made a mistake in failing to feed Leonard Fournette.
“That was my mistake,” he said, per John Oesher of Jaguars.com. “That was a big mistake by me. I thought we needed to score points in a quicker fashion. 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,” Marrone added. “I know it works hand in hand. I know we’re frustrated. I know Leonard’s frustrated … He wants to make plays and help us win the game … I was wrong and I made a mistake.”
Fournette, the ex-No. 4 overall pick, entered play Sunday with 100-plus yards from scrimmage in five of his last six games. He got a season-low eight carries for 23 yards against the Colts however, also adding seven catches for 34 yards.
Marrone and Fournette have had their issues in the past, and while the team may have been trying to get quarterback Nick Foles back up to speed in his first game back from injury, episodes like this will do little to ease whatever tensions remain between head coach and star running back.
