Jaguars Leonard Fournette back at practice on Monday
By David Levin
The Jacksonville Jaguars got a bit of good news when running back Leonard Fournette was back at practice on Monday ahead of the game against Indianapolis.
Will he play or won’t he? That’s the question Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone is waiting to see as running back Leonard Fournette was a full participant in practice on Monday. Has the hamstring injury that has hampered the second-year running back all season finally healed enough so he can play on Sunday when his team faces the Indianapolis Colts?
The Jaguars running game could certainly use a boost from No. 27 and the offense wouldn’t mind if he took some of the pressure off the passing game to lead this team to victory.
“We’ll just see how it goes during the week,” Marrone said when he met with the media on Monday inside TIAA Bank Field.
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If there is a sense of doubt in that statement, Marrone has that right to be cautiously optimistic. Since the first half of the first game of the season against the New York Giants, Fournette has been a constant question mark with regard to playing time.
The running game has taken a huge hit from losing their biggest asset. The offense hasn’t produced much in recent weeks and regardless of how other running backs have tried to replace him, Fournette is the straw that stirs the drink for Jacksonville’s gameplan.
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles (shoulder) participated in every drill during open media portion of Monday's practice. So did RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring). First time since aggravating his injury in Week 4. Both repped with first-team offense. No spotted: CB A.J. Bouye (calf).
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) November 5, 2018
The Jaguars have lost four games in a row and come off a bye week where they open up as a 3.5-point underdog to the Colts on the road. Jacksonville traveled to Indianapolis last year in Week 7 and came away with a 27-0 win. T.J. Yeldon replaced Fournette for that game due to injury and ran for 122 yards and a touchdown.
The defense also harassed quarterback Jacoby Brissett all game long.
Jacksonville is currently tied for 24th in the league in rushing with 95 yards per game. Last season, the rushing attack led the NFL with just over 141 yards per game.
Many factors have contributed to a lack of a running game, with an offensive line that has been less than dominant and injuries that have decimated the offense as a whole.
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The Jaguars rank 16th in the league in passing (257.5 yards per game) and are struggling to score, and are 29th in the NFL with 16.8 points per contest. Yeldon currently leads the team with 334 yards this season on the ground. He has one touchdown rushing but has proven to be a solid pass receiver out of the backfield with four touchdown catches.