Chris Ivory Due For Career Year With New York Jets

By Nathan McKenna | Sep 1, 2015

Chris Ivory is set up for a career year with the New York Jets. He won’t have to compete with Chris Johnson or a Rex Ryan offensive coordinator that for whatever reason refused to give him carries. This is finally the year Chris Ivory will have the ability to run free. He will no longer be restrained by outside forces. If he stays healthy he will eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career.

Also on Empire Writes Back: Who is the greatest QB in Jets history?

Ivory has, for most of his career, had to split time with other running backs. With the New Orleans Saints he had to share time with Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles. Even in New York, he has had to split time with Chris Johnson and on occasion Bilal Powell.

In New Orleans it made sense. The Saints had a stable of running backs that could and would be affective during different moments within the game. However, in New York under Rex Ryan, Ivory should not have had to share the rock as much as he did. Chris Johnson was a shell of his former self and Ivory ran with purpose and intent on every carry last season.

More from New York Jets

Yet, he was still spelled from time to time inexplicably by Marty Mornhinweg. Specifically in the game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. I remember Ivory dominating the Packers in the first half and then barely sniffing the field in the second. That kind of play calling and coaching should subside with a new regime that has already shown improved intelligence.

This preseason has shown that Ivory is ready for more carriers and more responsibility. Todd Bowles has alluded to the fact that Ivory is the feature back. With Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy as third and fourth options in case the worst thing happens, Ivory is free to run hard and often. Powell will still see some time on third downs, as he should, but he will not eat up as much as Johnson did last year.

Bowles and Chan Gailey will feed the hot hand and not ignore it like the last regime. The only thing that stands in Ivory’s way is his health. If he can stay healthy he has a chance to be a top-10 running back this season.

It’s not as crazy as some might think. He has been documented as working harder this offseason and many around the team and media have noted he seems faster. Chris Ivory may have quietly moved himself as one of the more dangerous backs in the league. With his yards after contact already second in the league behind Marshawn Lynch, adding speed to that could be a dangerous combination.

Next: Who is the greatest Jets first-round pick in franchise-history?

More from Empire Writes Back

Home/New York Jets