The ceiling was seen when the season started. The potential was again pointed out one month later.
When the Jets could run, the points piled up. When the ground game got going, their quarterback didn’t look like a rookie. When the offensive line opened holes, the playoffs seemed like a possibility.
Back in Week 1, the Jets had their most impressive performance of the season — a 48-17 win at Detroit — when running backs Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell combined for 162 yards and two touchdowns on just 22 carries. In Week 5, the rushing attack was even better against the Broncos, with Crowell rushing for a franchise-record 219 yards on 15 carries — the 14.6 yards per carry was the highest rushing average in NFL history by a player with at least 15 attempts — and Powell adding another 99 yards.
In the season’s two best wins, the Jets ran for 492 yards (6.6 yards per carry). In their six other games, they amassed just 418 yards (2.8 yards per carry), and have seen their rushing total drop each of the past three weeks — most recently running for 57 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Bears.
The focus hasn’t changed. But the results have to if the Jets (3-5) are to snap a two-game losing streak at Miami (4-4).
“It’s a mindset and attitude every week. We think about it every week,” right tackle Brandon Shell said. “We have a mindset to do it. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but we have to have that mindset to go out there and run the ball.”
Crowell has been contained since his record-setting day — totaling 94 rushing yards in the past three games combined — and limited with a foot injury. Powell is done for the season with a neck injury.
On Sunday, the backfield has added depth and a new dynamic with Elijah McGuire, who was activated Friday from injured reserve. The 24-year-old broke his foot on the first day of training camp and spent the first half of the season on IR.
Last season, the sixth-round pick had impressive rookie flashes — most memorably scoring on a 69-yard run in an overtime win against the Jaguars — and showed skill as a receiver, making 17 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. In joining Crowell and Trenton Cannon, the second-year running back could be used in a change-of-pace role and on third downs.
“If he comes back … it’s good to have him back,” coach Todd Bowles said before McGuire was activated. “He’s very versatile, does some things on special teams to help us and he does some things in the backfield.”
In Week 2’s 20-12 loss to Miami, it didn’t matter who was in the Jets’ backfield. Crowell had 35 yards on 12 carries. Powell had 6 yards on five attempts.
But since the Dolphins’ 3-0 start, they’ve allowed an average of 175.6 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and are now tied for the third-worst run defense in the league.
But it shouldn’t matter what the Dolphins do.
“It’s really just on us,” Shell said. “We’ve just got to go out there and do our job. At the end of the day, that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to execute.
“We’ve got to perform. We’ve got to do our job.”