New York Jets Optimistic That They Can Get Frank Gore Running in Week 2
With Le’Veon Bell out for the foreseeable future, the New York Jets will likely be turning to running back Frank Gore to carry the workload out of the backfield.
The Jets will be without Bell for the next couple of weeks after the running back hurt his hamstring in the second quarter of the Jets Week 1 loss at the Buffalo Bills. He was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) on Tuesday.
This likely means a heavy dose of Frank Gore, the veteran running back who led all Jets rushers with six carries for 24 yards this past weekend. Despite what should be a featured role, Jets head coach Adam Gase said he has seen nothing different from the veteran running back around the team’s facility.
“He seems the same to me, saw those guys Monday,” Gase said. “Today when we met, I don’t know, he seemed the same to me. That’s what Frank does, he’s level.”
Managing workload will be important for Gore but Gase said the plan is for him “to go do his things today.” Last week, Gase had said that the plan was to rest Gore on Thursdays throughout the season so as to not overwork him.
Gore was effective in his Jets debut on Sunday. He had six carries for 24 yards. It was the most rushing yards on the team in Week 1.
As a team, the Jets had just 55 rushing yards at the Bills.
Even if with Gore anticipated to have more carries and a much larger role on Sunday, the plan remains to give him a day off on Thursday. It won’t be an easy sell, according to Gase.
“He don’t want to come out in the runs in practice anyway,” Gase said.
“He’s a hard one to argue with when you’re not telling him what he wants to hear, so…But, I thought he did a good job. We almost popped a couple of those if we finish a couple of those blocks on a couple of those runs, I think he’s in on the safety. We’ll get through practice this week and try to get some things cleaned up and see if we can get a couple of explosive runs.”
Gore turned 37-years old this past May, is now in his sixteenth NFL season. He is third all-time in rushing yards.
A possibility to enter the mix in the backfield is La’Mical Perine, a rookie taken out of Florida.
Perine suffered an ankle sprain two weeks ago and was out this past Sunday. Perine did not practice on Wednesday but participated in strength and conditioning drills, signaling that he could be taking a step forward towards a return.
The Jets signed running back Kalen Ballage on Tuesday. The former Miami Dolphins running back was with the team at the tail end of training camp.
Gase said Ballage is in good shape and has healed from his own hamstring injury suffered several weeks ago.
