Last season, the Jets ran the ball 607 times, compared to only 393 pass attempts. Their leading rusher from 2009, Thomas Jones, is now a Kansas City Chief, and the question of who will carry the load for the Jets’ rushing game is on the minds of many of their fans.
The most obvious replacement for Jones’ production is Shonn Greene. As a 3rd round draft pick out of Iowa, Greene’s rookie season was largely quiet, as he rushed for 540 yards. In the playoffs, however, Greene rushed for 304 yards in only 3 games, and had several memorable touchdown runs which raised expectations for this season. Despite Greene’s impressive talent, however, he has shown weaknesses in the past. Last season, he fumble 3 times in only 108 carries, and he failed to record a reception. Despite these worries, however, Greene showed a combination of speed and power that has many Jets fans excited for his 2010 season.
While Shonn Greene appears to be entrenched as the starter, his backup will be one of the best running backs in NFL history. LaDainian Tomlinson, signed from the San Diego Chargers, will likely be featured as the Jets’ 3rd down back. In his prime, Tomlinson was one of the top pass-catching backs in the NFL, but it seems as if Tomlinson’s prime ended two seasons ago. Last season, Tomlinson appeared to have lost a step, as he averaged only 3.3 yards per carry for a dynamic Chargers offense. Tomlinson’s season ended against the Jets’ defense, as he rushed for only 24 yards on 12 carries. Heading into this season, Tomlinson’s ability will be called into question by most Jets fans. If he can return to the form that made him one of the best running backs of all time, then the Jets offense will feature two running backs who compliment each other well. If Tomlinson’s decline continues, however, the Jets offense will likely struggle on passing downs, or in the event of an injury to Greene.
One final wildcard in the Jets 2010 backfield is their 4th round pick, Joe McKnight. Heading into college at USC, McKnight drew comparisons to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush. Although he failed to match Bush’s college production, McKnight is still regarded as a shifty runner who could serve as an asset to the Jets’ offense. With the departure of Leon Washington to Seattle, the Jets will need a quicker running back to take over Washington’s role. Although McKnight did not make the best first impression by appearing out of shape at the Jets’ first rookie mini-camp, there is speculation that his familiarity with his college quarterback, Mark Sanchez, could help him get onto the field as a rookie.
With the continued development of Mark Sanchez, it’s likely that the Jets will throw the ball far more than they did last season. Despite this fact, however, the Jets will likely remain a running team. In order for the Jets to succeed, they will need their running game to remain a dominant force. With the presence of three talented running backs, there is no reason for the Jets not to have success, but all three backs have question marks that won’t be answered until they step onto the field to open the season.
