Rashad Greene is a much needed playmaker
By Luke Sims
Rashad Greene has made two game-changing plays in recent weeks for the Jacksonville Jaguars, providing a spark for the young, surging team.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to find a catalyst to ignite the entire team all season.
In fact, the Jaguars have struggled to find that catalyst for many seasons.
Rashad Greene, a rookie wide receiver, has managed to finally be that catalyst that can ignite game-changing plays and cause the entire team to reach higher, dig deeper, and play better.
The fifth-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, Greene raised eyebrows with his seven receptions and a touchdown in the Week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Yet the Jags couldn’t use him after Week 2 due to injury.
Since his return in Week 11, the Jaguars have managed to win two of their four games and both of them have been sparked by Greene.
The Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans came down to the wire, but it was Greene’s special teams abilities that kept the Jaguars in it. He returned a punt 63 yards, allowing quarterback Blake Bortles to make an easy five-yard toss to tight end Julius Thomas for the score.
In Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts, Greene did it again. This time, he returned a punt all the way for a touchdown, using his blazing speed to sweep past the coverage unit without being touched. His touchdown invigorated the whole team, setting them up to compete in the second half and blow out the division rival.
While there are plenty of other players to look at as having a tremendous impact for this team – like Bortles, wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, running back T.J. Yeldon, cornerback Davon House, etc. – there has yet to be a catalyst quite like Greene.
Greene is turning special teams plays into opportunities, which is something the Jags haven’t had since Maurice Jones-Drew was still returning kicks. Greene is scoring or setting up the offense to score. He’s single-handedly turning what was simply a routine change of possession into a weapon for the Jaguars.
…and the kid can still catch when called upon as well.
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The Jags have really knocked it out of the park with many of their recent draft selections. Rashad Greene is one of those guys that people shouldn’t overlook. He’s a playmaker and he has the ability to really turn the corner and help the Jags get over the hump as well.