The Jacksonville Jaguars had no trouble disposing of the New York Jets. However, they lost running back Bhayshul Tuten to a finger injury during the 48-20 win. This was a big blow because the rookie out of Virginia Tech has become a key cog in the backfield.
Tuten left the Jets game and was eventually ruled out. The good news is that his injury doesn't appear to be as serious based on the latest update.
The Jaguars will be without Bhayshul Tuten for a few weeks after undergoing surgery
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reported that Bhayshul Tuten will undergo finger surgery and will miss a few weeks. However, he'll be able to return for the playoffs.
Granted, the Jags haven't officially clinched a playoff berth but are on the verge of doing it. In the meantime, they can afford to be without Tuten due to the presence of Travis Etienne and LeQuint Allen.
Having said that, Jacksonville will need another running back apart from Etienne and Allen on Game Day. After all, the team released Cody Schroder, and the Houston Texans signed him to their active roster not long after.
The most likely choice to fill that No. 3 spot will be undrafted free agent Ja'Quinden Jackson when you take into account that Houston already waived Schrader, but the Denver Broncos just claimed him.
Keep in mind that Jacksonville probably won't place Tuten on Injured Reserve, so it could easily promote Jackson to the active roster each of the following three weeks without using a roster spot. Of course, Etienne and Allen will get the lion's share of the workload, but Jackson could get a few offensive snaps on game day.
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The Jaguars will give LeQuint Allen a bigger role with while Bhayshul Tuten recovers
Although Travis Etienne is the lead back in the Jacksonville backfield, Bhayshul Tuten has carved a niche on offense, toting the rock 78 times for 284 yards with four touchdowns. On top of that, he's hauled in 10 receptions for 79 yards with two touchdown. This is a long-winded way to say that his absence will be felt, and it will be up to fellow rookie LeQuint Allen to pick up the slack.
Allen has mostly seen the field in passing downs. His blocking skills have made him an invaluable contributor, but he's also a solid runner and a superb pass-catcher out of the backfield. In fact, the former Syracuse Orangeman has more offensive snaps (214) than Tuten (199). Sure, they filled different roles, but it will be up to Allen and Etienne to take on Tuten's workload.
Ultimately, it's never pleasant to see players go down with injuries, but the Jaguars should have no trouble holding the fort while Bhayshul Tuten recovers from surgery.