Jaguars running game should thrive going to the right

The Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the least productive offenses in the NFL last season, ranking 31st in passing yards per game and 21st in rushing yards per game.

That rush ranking doesn’t seem too bad, until you take into account that quarterback Blake Bortles accounted for 419 yards on the ground. The Jaguars deployed one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL in 2014, with fault lying on the shoulders of both the ball carriers and the offensive line.

Heading into 2015, there’s tangible reason for the Jaguars to improve upon their rushing ranking. Even without 2nd round pick T.J. Yeldon in the mix in the preseason, the Jacksonville running game looked effective with the first team offense.

On paper, the Jaguars should be able to solidify their rushing attack on the right side of the line with ease – Brandon Linder has a chance to be one of the best guards in the entire league and newly signed Jermey Parnell is a massive upgrade at right tackle.

Looking at the rushing totals from preseason week 1, there isn’t too much to garner as far as where the Jaguars will lean towards in establishing their ground game:

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Obviously the sample size is very small, but on tape you could see the right side of the line was getting plenty of push through the first quarter and a half of play.

Another qualifier is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, which likely won’t be very stout against the run in 2015.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Jaguars run the ball the rest of the preseason, especially when Yeldon gets back into the lineup, but it’s probably safe to say Linder and Parnell will see plenty of plays call in their direction.

Next: Shorts says Bortles will be a star

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