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New York Jets Get Back To Ground and Pound vs Baltimore Ravens

By Kenneth Teape

Oct 23, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) rushes for a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil (58) during second half at MetLife Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-16.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) rushes for a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil (58) during second half at MetLife Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-16.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Jets rode Matt Forte to victory against the Baltimore Ravens, a gameplan they should use more often going forward.

The New York Jets have had a disastrous 2016 season. They entered Week 7 with a 1-5 record, essentially needing to win out if they want any chance of making the postseason. Part of the reason has been quarterback play, which resulted in Geno Smith taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick. With the quarterback change came a change in offensive philosophy that has been missing for multiple weeks.

Against the Ravens, the Jets got back to the ground-and-pound offense. They relied on veteran Matt Forte to carry the offense and that is exactly what he did. Forte carried the ball 30 times for 100 yards and a touchdown, also catching four passes for 54 yards and another touchdown. That receiving touchdown put Forte in a special category, becoming the fifth player in NFL history with 8,000 rushing yards, 4,000 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns.

The 34 touches were the most this season for Forte and the most since Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills; that week Forte logged 32 touches. It was a welcome change, as the Jets had been moving away from Forte in recent weeks.

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Since those 32 touches against the Bills, Forte has seen his workload shrink each following week. He had 17, 16, 14, and 10 touches in the next four games, all Jets losses. It was about time for the Jets to get back to their workhorse, and they did so in a big way.

The Jets do not have a quarterback that can win them games with their arm. We have seen what Fitzpatrick is capable of, and if Smith was any better he would have been inserted early. But what the Jets do have is a veteran running back that can get the job done in a multitude of ways.

Forte has proven throughout his career that he can be a workhorse. With the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position, the Jets should continue to rely on Forte as a runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield.

It is no coincidence that the two games that the Jets have won this season are both when Forte has been the workhorse. Without a reliable option at quarterback, relying on the running game is the way to go. The Jets are 2-0 when Forte gets at least 30 touches, and 0-4 when he doesn’t.

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Forte won’t make it through the season getting 30+ touches a game, so the Jets must work in Bilal Powell as well. The run game is key to the Jets success and it showed against the Ravens.

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