(05-09-2018, 05:42 PM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(05-09-2018, 05:12 PM)sfljaguarsfan Wrote:  I really wonder what the Fournette haters were watching all season?

FWIW  - I haven't seen anybody hating on Fournette in this thread. 
A few people have some doubt about drafting him so early, a few think he had a good rookie year, but not quite a "great" rookie year.  Everyone universally praises his speed, home-run ability, and hard-nosed running style. Most think he'll only improve.  
Some of us may not be as impressed as you are with the first season. That's not hating on the guy at all.

I'll hate on him, though it's not even as much hating on him specifically as it is hating how we play when he is in the game. It's simple to me, our offense was better when he was off the field. One of the Field Gull guys broke it down from many different angles. But the eye test showed it too. Our offense became far less predictable. We actually did crazy stuff like play 3 WRs sometimes. The middle of the field opened up (because of 11 personnel not the absence of LF) and the crosser heavy passing attack took off.

Our yards per carry were higher when Fournette was out, our actual and expected points per game/drive respectively were higher when Fournette was out. Blake's efficiency was much higher when Fournette was out. There was more in the article that I mentioned at the time but I don't care enough to go look for it again. It wasn't just pointing out the games he missed either, it was our offenses on/off splits for games he played too.

Not to mention we were 3-0 without him and only 7-6 with him. He had his moments where he was able to wear down a defense after getting a ton of carries that actively kept the game close, but more often than not all it did was leave us praying for a defensive miracle at the end of games to save our butts after he plodded to ~70 yards on ~20 carries.

And yes for the hundredth time I'll point out a lot of it was coaching (and definitely some injury too). It is dumb of us to run so much 12, 21, and 22 personnel and basically beg for the defenses to put 8 in the box and expect Fournette to shine. Spreading the field out and making nickelbacks tackle Fournette would be wise IMO. I think there is definite room for Fournette to get better, but a lot of it will depend on things out of his control. If we run essentially the same offense and hope that Norwell alone is going to drastically change things I think we're going to be disappointed.

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