What is wrong with the Jacksonville Jaguars running game?

Through three games, the Jaguars running game has failed to produce for various reasons.

Three weeks into the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) season, their running offense already needs to be resurrected. What was once the core strength of their offense has now become an afterthought to the passing game not by choice, but by necessity due to ineffectiveness.

In 2019, the Jaguars join the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets as the only teams without a rushing touchdown through three games, and they are 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (90.7). 

Jacksonville has ran for 272 yards on 57 carries, good for the 7th best yards per carry average (4.8) in the NFL, but that is almost solely due to Leonard Fournette's 69-yard run against the Tennessee Titans.

Outside of Fournette's huge run late in the fourth quarter of Thursday's 20-7 win, the Jaguars running game was largely a disaster. Without the 69-yard run, Fournette would have had a statline of 14 carries for -3 yards. On 11 of those carries, he gained two yards or less. 

The offense's struggle to get anything going against the Titans revealed the primary issues for the Jaguars lack of an effective run game in 2019. Many determined during TNF that Fournette was largely at fault, but the tape shows a different story. 

Here are each of the Jaguars' failed runs (runs for 2 yards or less) against the Titans:

Negative run 1: 8:01 in 1st quarter, 1st & 10. Loss of 3.

This is really a tough block for center Brandon Linder to make. I would say this one is an instance of the Jaguars coaching staff not putting the team in the best situation to succeed.

Negative run 2: 3:12 in 1st quarter, 2nd & 8. Loss of 7.

Left guard Andrew Norwell and left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi both deserve some blame on this huge loss. It is an outside zone run and Norwell's priority is blocking the defender in the B gap, but he is too focused on the down lineman aligned in front of him. 

Ogbuehi does not chip the defensive end at all, giving him a free run to Norwell's inside. Both players messed up to a degree here, giving Fournette zero chance.

Negative run 3: 14:16 in 2nd quarter, 1st & 10. No gain.

This failed run, another outside zone play, fails due to missed blocks by tight end James O'Shaughnessy and right guard Will Richardson. Fournette initially wants to take this run outside, where he could have found a decent gain, but O'Shaughnessy gets beat on the edge, forcing Fournette to cutback. 

Fournette cutsback a tad too late, but if Richardson keeps his balance and makes his block on the linebacker, Fournette has a potentially huge lane to run through. This was a play that could have ended up much better than it did.

Negative run 4: 12:49 in 2nd quarter, 1st & 10. Loss of 4. 

Fournette is too indecisive on this run considering he should know the backside defensive end isn't being blocked, but Linder also gets beat badly here.

Negative run 5: 10:44 in 3rd quarter, 1st & 10. No gain.

If Cam Robinson is able to execute his down block on the defensive tackle here, this is another play that should have gained at least a few yards.

Negative run 6: 9:03 in 3rd quarter, 2nd & 5. Gain of 2.

Tight end Seth DeValve has always been known as more of a pass catcher than run blocker, and reps like this are why.

Negative run 7: 00:25 in 3rd quarter, 2nd & 7. No gain.

Tight end James O'Shaughnessy moves off of his block on the defensive end to try to block the untouched linebacker, even though the left side of the Jaguars offensive line has a 3-on-2 advantage with the chance to block the linebacker themselves. The now-unblocked end then makes the play with ease.2

Negative run 8: 11:08 in 4th quarter, 1st & 10. No gain.

This play is a poor rep by Norwell and Richardson, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor didn't have a great one either, though blocking someone with a gap advantage is no easy task.

Negative run 9: 9:29 in 4th quarter, 1st & 10. Loss of 5. 

This is a rep that is probably more on Fournette than the others since the most positive run would have been to Norwell's inside. But overall this is just good run defense by the Titans.

Negative run 10: 3:42 in 4th quarter, 1st & 10. Gain of 2. 

Fournette still would have somewhat been running into a wall here if Ogbuehi was able to make his block, but it would have been a difficult gain. Regardless, Ogbuehi's missed block killed the play.

Negative run 11: 3:37 in 4th quarter, 2nd & 8. No gain.

Fournette tripped over Norwell on this play. 

Overall, there was a lot of blame to go around for the Jaguars' failed running game against the Titans, which has been the story for the running game all of 2019 thus far. The majority of the blame falls upfront, with every blocker except A.J. Cann contributing to at least one failed run on TNF. 

Fournette needs to be better when he is given one-on-one opportunities against defenders in space, but when the offensive line and tight ends play like they did on Thursday, he will not get those opportunities. For the Jaguars run game to come alive, they will need to see a dramatic improvement in their blocking.