Are you ready for some football? T.J. Yeldon, the Jaguars’ new running back, certainly is.
He makes his on-field debut for Jacksonville at home Friday night against the Detroit Lions. And for him, it’s the culmination of a lifelong dream.
“I’ve been waiting for this since I was little, so I’m excited to get out there and play with the team,” Yeldon said Monday.
Word is that the Jaguars are going to treat him like a starter. First-team reps and plenty of them.
He jammed his finger against a teammate’s helmet on August 8, and is going to have a pad on the phalange to guard against further damage.
This would be the game to get him the reps he needs. The question is one of how many do you give him.
If the Jags could get 30 yards and a touchdown from six Yeldon carries, they would be thrilled. While it’s tempting to give him a full half of bellcow duties, the reality is that the team already knows what it has in him, in terms of skill set.
Yeldon has a smooth move in to the hole, with quick burst coming out. Though he’s not Chris Johnson at his peak, he still has the requisite burst to be a three down back.
He’s also been given credit for being a quick study.
“He’s a guy who understands where to be, where to go, who to key,” said backup quarterback Chad Henne.
The offense, of course, is new for everyone this year, with new coordinator Greg Olsen aboard. Tellingly, though, Yeldon got training camp props for his pass protection skills also.
The reality is that for as explosive as Denard Robinson was last year, the team never felt fully comfortable with his pass blocking. That’s one of the reasons that in the first two games, Toby Gerhart was in the game on third down.
Gerhart won’t play on Friday.
For Yeldon, the assignment Friday night should be a simple one. Get in. Show some moves. Prove you can chip a rusher. And get out and let that hand heal.
