Denard Robinson Will Be A Big Part of Jaguars Offense Against Chargers

Now I know that Denard Robinson is effectively splitting carries with fellow tailback Toby Gerhart going forward. They’ve each been given opportunities so far this season, but Gerhart has yet to impress on his 34 attempts with a meager 2.4 yards per carry average. Robinson, in contrast, has seen more success in part because the Jaguars’ offensive line simply can’t be trusted. Denard Robinson stretches the field more. Toby Gerhart is more of a downhill runner.

Gerhart is still a quality back, but he needs to have better blocking up front if he is to be successful.

Robinson can stretch plays horizontally and make something out of nothing. He has the speed to overcome a broken play and he has shown that his vision is good enough to warrant more carries. Head coach Gus Bradley is in agreement and is willing to entrust the ball to Robinson more.

This is good for the Jaguars, especially since the offensive line couldn’t block a high school pass rush right now.

In light of that, you can expect Robinson to be a bigger part of the offense against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Robinson is earning carries despite serious problems with the offensive line and he’ll present more of a versatile threat, especially against a defense that is about as keyed in to the run as possible (10th in rushing yards allowed). Robinson should help alleviate pressure that has been mounting at the quarterback position and will likely boil over quickly under rookie Blake Bortles’ leadership. As good as Bortles is, he is still a rookie and it will be stressful for the Jaguars as he learns to handle essentially being the entire offense with no run blocking coming from the offensive line.

One key thing that Bortles displayed during his half against the Indianapolis Colts was his ability to make something from nothing. In particular, Bortles was able to turn broken plays into positive situations. Robinson’s versatility should help Bortles with that. Bortles was at his best when he was on the move and he will need someone like Robinson as a safety valve when plays break down. This is even more important as tight end Marcedes Lewis will continue to be out for the foreseeable future due to injury. Robinson has three receptions on four targets so far this season, I expect that number to go up as Robinson comes in on more snaps.

While Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart will likely split carries on Sunday, expect Robinson to put together some key plays that help the offense gain traction.