James Robinson Nominated for Rookie of the Week After Week 12 Performance
Stop us if you've heard this before; Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running James Robinson has been nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week following his performance in Week 12 versus the Cleveland Browns.
Robinson finished with 159 scrimmage yards (128 yards rushing, 31 receiving) and a rushing touchdown. The touchdown came with some help and a huge push from the offensive line but was well earned after carrying the drive and the offense yet again for the Jaguars.
This is the fifth time this season thus far that Robinson has been nominated for ROW. He earned the recognition after Week 2 versus the Tennessee Titans, Week 4 versus the Cincinnati Bengals, Week 7 versus the Los Angeles Chargers, Week 10 versus the Houston Texans, and then this week versus the Browns.
Robinson is joined on the ballot this week by Washington running back Antonio Gibson (136 scrimmage yards, three rushing touchdowns), Carolina Panthers linebacker Jeremy Chinn (13 tackles, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries for touchdowns), San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (two tackles, 27-yard interception return for a touchdown) and Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson (seven receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns).
The undrafted free agent rookie has been the bell cow for not only the Jags ground game but also much of the offense. He has accumulated 1,170 scrimmage yards through 11 games and continues to set a new record each week for most scrimmage yards by an UDFA in NFL history through that number of games. Heading into Week 13, he's on the verge of breaking the NFL record for most yards by an UDFA rookie ever in the common draft era.
Mike Glennon, who started for the Jaguars at quarterback the first time this season on Sunday, said of Robinson, "I just think James is the real deal. He’s a legit starting running back in the NFL.
"The thing I love about James is he doesn’t take – he never has lost yards. He’s always falling forward, he turns what could be 2nd-and-10s into 2nd-and-6s, and those add up over time. He keeps the game in manageable situations, and he’s a special talent. How he fell to out of the draft, I have no clue. We are lucky to have him because he’s one of the better backs in the League.”
Head Coach Doug Marrone—who called Robinson one of the bright spots on the 1-10 team—is no longer even surprised at the consistent and positive production his offseason gamble is giving him each week.
“I think it’s the same thing we’ve seen all year, just a very productive player, very consistent, never becomes frustrated, just steady, just [a] steady football player that’s always going to get you the positive yards, always going to give you unbelievable effort," said Marrone on Sunday.
"I think that’s the one thing that people miss a little bit with him is just the effort. I think the ball popped out on him one time today but that’s the other thing. When you’re giving great effort and you’re still being able to hang on to the football, that’s tough. A lot of times when you get into those piles, you’re going to make decisions on whether to keep going for the extra yards or to go down because ball security sometimes becomes an issue, but not with him. I think he’s shown that he’s a really good football player and we’re happy we have him. I think we had 20 something touches today for him, so I think that’s a pretty good load.”
Fans can vote for Robinson for Week 12 Rookie of the Week here.
Fans can also vote to send Robinson to the NFL Pro Bowl (held virtually this year) by taking to social media.
