Re-energized Robinson expects to stack up more wins behind run game
Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson appears to be re-energized, eager for a new start in which he expects to enjoy more wins than they experience over the first six games.
It’s a belief shared by Robinson’s teammates that there is no going back to the doldrums of their 1-5 start mired by too many mistakes, inability to finish games, and giving up too much yardage and points.
‘‘It’s more of a reset for us,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘I would say the first half wasn’t good at all. We know we can play better. We went out with a win going into the bye, so we feel we have some momentum. We want to keep that and start rolling.’’
The Jaguars aim to build upon leads instead of losing them after halftime, starting Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. The Jaguars are expected to face a loud crowd and will be challenged by a team that has turned desperate to win after three consecutive losses.
As coach Urban Meyer said this past week, it’s now all about efficiency and winning for his team, not excuses.
‘‘We’ve been in the system for a while,’’ Meyer said. ‘‘Now the excuse of a new system, the excuse of a young quarterback - that’s all gone. I feel good about the second run we’re going to on from here.’’
No doubt Meyer’s no-excuse edict will be remembered.
The Jaguars don’t have any more breaks.
They play 11 games in the next 11 weeks. And next week, they face one of the top contending teams in the league, the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (4-2), before hitting the road again to face the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts (3-4). The November portion of their schedule includes a game against the red-hot Los Angeles Rams (6-1) and the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans (5-2).
‘‘It’s one thing to say you have confidence and you kind of keep telling yourself that, but at some point, you need some evidence,’’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. ‘‘This thing is turning around; what we’re doing is working. We are getting closer, and you can see that on the field, but you have to get a win at some point. It solidifies everything we are doing.’’
Through six games, the Jaguars rank second in the NFL with a 5.2 yards per rushing average. They rank 10th in the NFL with a 121.8 yards per rushing average.
Perhaps that is remarkable considering Jacksonville has been without their starting right guard A.J. Cann (knee) for the past three games, and starting center Brandon Linder will miss his second straight game with an ankle/MCL injury. The Jaguars announced this past week that Cann is out for the rest of the season as second-year player Ben Bartch has replaced him.
However, the question is whether the Jaguars can sustain their ability to run successfully around Robinson with a patchwork offensive line.
They need to have a successful ground game so Lawrence won’t have to do all the heavy lifting. Robinson’s ability to break through defenses allows the Jaguars to stick with a needed balanced attack.
Robinson has scored at least one touchdown in four consecutive games, which ties the longest active in the NFL. And he needs only 10 scrimmage yards Sunday against the Seahawks to become the 21st player in franchise history to surpass 2,000 career scrimmage yards.
“I feel like I got a little more burst than I had last season,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘I continue to work on everything I can to be more efficient. I try to keep us ahead of the chains whenever I get the ball.’’
Robinson is the eighth-leading rusher in the NFL with 469 yards on 84 carries. He has not carried the ball more than 18 times in a game yet this season. However, Robinson’s workload has significantly increased since the first two games against Houston and Denver when he combined for 16 carries, including having only five carries for 25 yards against the Texans in the opener. Since Week 3, Robinson has not had a game with fewer than 15 carries.
Asked if he now has a higher regard for Robinson than before the season started, Meyer said he has impressed since January shortly after becoming head coach.
‘‘I’ve been pretty high on James because he was here in January and never missed a day,’’ Meyer said. ‘‘Toughness and work ethic. He is an absolute grinder. He is as hard-working of a guy that I have ever been around.”