Leonard Fournette was inexplicably phased out of the game plan in the second half of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday, but the star running back insists he knew that would be the case going in.
After he rushed 10 times for just 21 yards in the first half, Fournette had one carry for 25 yards in the second half. Backup running backs Dave Williams and TJ Yeldon had more touches than him after halftime, and Fournette insisted he was not surprised.
“That was the game plan coming in,” he said, via John Oehser of the Jaguars’ official website.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said he wanted to see more of Williams after he had a good week of practice. He finished with 32 yards on five carries, and it seemed like Fournette ended up in the doghouse due to his ineffectiveness early in the game. He also made some interesting comments about a lack of chemistry between the running backs and offensive line.
“We’ve just got to get our chemistry better with our offensive line,” Fournette said. “A lot of us aren’t used to playing with each other. It’s about communication with us, too, the running backs and the offensive line.”
It’s worth noting that Fournette served as Jacksonville’s kick returner on Sunday for the first time in his NFL career, so it sure seems like Marrone was trying to send a message. For a running back who has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in his sophomore season, that is not a huge surprise.
