..how will jets use new three headed monster RB trio ? ? ?

[kelly]

The Jets wasted no time in fully solidifying their running back depth chart this offseason, bringing back Bilal Powell while signing Matt Forte and Khiry Robinson away from the Bears and Saints.With a decent chunk of change invested in the running back position, what is Chan Gailey’s plan to do with the talented, versatile trio? Let’s take a look.

1) Multi-back sets

While it would be surprising if the Jets trotted out all three of their backs on the field in a diamond formation, two could be on the field frequently. Having two dangerous ball carriers in the back field helps create misdirection, which Chip Kelly had often utilized while at Oregon :

The linebackers bite on the outside run while the interior offensive line opens up a perfect lane for the ball carrier to get to the second level of the field.This style of rushing attack can also eventually open up one on one match ups on the outside (which both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker dominated last season) by forcing an extra safety into the box.Quincy Enunwa’s value increases with the usage of this formation, as he would serve as a vital lead blocker and short range target off of play action.

2) Passing game

Sure, it might be obvious to state running backs get involved in the passing attack, but the Jets addition of Forte brings a legitimate 3rd receiving target. Quincy Enunwa and Kenbrell Thompkins flashed when given targets, but the reliability of Forte could invaluable in an offense that will not over rely on the quarterback to make big plays.Chan Gailey loves to get his interior line out in front in the screen game and with a trio of pass catchers in the back field, expect plays like the ones below to become a staple in the Jets offense :

3) Red zone versatility

While still effective, the Jets red zone rushing attack became a bit predictable with Chris Ivory as the work horse. When on the field, they forced inside carries or ran play action.

While the new trio does not pack the same inside punch as Ivory, their versatility will force the opposition to account for a wider range of plays :

Between Forte’s creative route running, Powell’s explosiveness and familiarity in the offense, and Khiry Robinson’s violent running style, the Jets new backfield has a lot of promise. With some creativity under Chan Gailey (who is coming off of a very impressive debut season in New York), it could be a big year for the new rushing attack.

>       http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/20/how-will-jets-use-new-three-headed-monster-rb-trio/

 

[Integrity28]

... by handing the ball off to them, or passing it to them, or not.

[JetBlue]

I am very excited to see what Chan does with the talented trio.  I wonder if Jalen Marshall makes the team (maybe the PS).  He just the kind of all purpose back/wr/pr that would thrive under Gailey. 

[Long Island Leprechaun]

Forte is also a great blocker. I'm excited to see how they work this trio as well. Makes the defense's job a lot harder.

[David Harris]

How many carries does Forte get a game?

 

my guess for carries (not receptions)

Forte: 14

Powell: 5

Robinson/Other: 2

[Villain The Foe]

1 hour ago, Integrity28 said:

... by handing the ball off to them, or passing it to them, or not.

Are you saying that handing the ball off to them, or passing it to them, or not is just exclusive to them? 

This is a Naive and stupid comment! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChuckkieB]

Forte is going to be the workhorse.  He can do it all.  A prototypical 3 down back.  Only his advancing age will get Powell and Robinson some touches. 

[Greenseed4]

I like the idea of trips with Enunwa flexing in & out (as TE) and having Forte and Powell on the field at the same time.  Everyone would be an adept blocker for run plays, and  Gailey's patented bubble screens; when the safeties cheat down you could run stretch routes with any one of our big WRs for one on one jump balls. 

We're going to be GREAT at those 10-12 yard chunk plays, and methodical ball movement. 

[Integrity28]

49 minutes ago, Villain The Foe said:

Are you saying that handing the ball off to them, or passing it to them, or not is just exclusive to them? 

This is a Naive and stupid comment! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carries it into another thread.

Not emo. Not emo at all.

[New York Mick]

 Anything that keeps the ball out of Geno's hands. 

[oc_jet]

1 hour ago, David Harris said:

How many carries does Forte get a game?

 

my guess for carries (not receptions)

Forte: 14

Powell: 5

Robinson/Other: 2

 FootballGuys projections for the 2016 RB core are:

Player	Pos	Rsh	YD	Y/R	TD	Rec	YD	TD
Matt Forte	RB	220	957	4.4	6	44	356	2
Bilal Powell	RB	105	420	4.0	2	35	291	2
Khiry Robinson	RB	80	352	4.4	2	5	36	0
Tommy Bohanon	RB	5	16	3.2	0	4	32	0
2016 projection	RB	410	1745	4.3	10	88	715	4
2015 actual	RB	386	1564	4.1	9	94	724	3

If the Jets can provide anything close to these numbers, we should have a successful year. Their carries are fairly close to your estimates: Forte 13.75,  Powell 6.5,  Robinson/Other 5.3

 

 

 

 

[Warfish]

Three-headed?

Khiry being #3 I suppose?  

Well, Forte has a ton of miles but should be a productive producer, Powell is Powell, has moments that look great between long injured ineffective down time.

Khiry is....er.....I have no idea, actually.  So lets say he's great!

Should be "good enough" to support a QB, presuming no widespread mass injuries a la last year.  

I liked Ivory, same as I like Powell, but both were/are too damn injury prone.  Ivory > Forte, but it shouldn;t make too much difference.

[Long Island Leprechaun]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

Three-headed?

Khiry being #3 I suppose?  

Well, Forte has a ton of miles but should be a productive producer, Powell is Powell, has moments that look great between long injured ineffective down time.

Khiry is....er.....I have no idea, actually.  So lets say he's great!

Should be "good enough" to support a QB, presuming no widespread mass injuries a la last year.  

I liked Ivory, same as I like Powell, but both were/are too damn injury prone.  Ivory > Forte, but it shouldn;t make too much difference.

Ivory was perhaps better than Forte at one thing -- power running. Forte is a solid power runner, a great receiver out of the backfield, and a better blocker. Age is of course a factor, but not ridiculous. Plus, Forte offers some challenge for defensive schemes. Ivory was a guarantee of eight in the box.

[Snell41]

... by handing the ball off to them, or passing it to them, or not.

Duhhhh they can toss it the them as well!

[Snell41]

Three-headed?

Khiry being #3 I suppose?  

Well, Forte has a ton of miles but should be a productive producer, Powell is Powell, has moments that look great between long injured ineffective down time.

Khiry is....er.....I have no idea, actually.  So lets say he's great!

Should be "good enough" to support a QB, presuming no widespread mass injuries a la last year.  

I liked Ivory, same as I like Powell, but both were/are too damn injury prone.  Ivory > Forte, but it shouldn;t make too much difference.

Hold up....Ivory>Forte? As in Ivory is better than Forte? Really? Really?????

[Villain The Foe]

3 hours ago, Integrity28 said:

Carries it into another thread.

Not emo. Not emo at all.

[Warfish]

33 minutes ago, Snell41 said:

Hold up....Ivory>Forte? As in Ivory is better than Forte? Really? Really?????

Last year?  Yes, I'd say so.  Not a complaint, btw.

We've exchanged an injury prone younger guy for an old guy with alot of miles.  Both are risks.  I'm ok with Forte tho, to be fair.

[BurnleyJet]

I have feeling Forte was brought in because he's the NFL's best recieving back and not for his rushing skills, and given his age 30 I think he may get rested more at carring the Rock.

I won't be surprised to see Robinson get more carries. They will want to keep Forte fresh. He's essentially another Wide receiver, and a very good one, he's also 6"2 which is usual for a Running back.

[Jetster]

A lot of Jet fans are underestimating Forte. He's not injury prone, he's a RB in the NFL. As a blocker & receiver he's miles ahead of Ivory. He's deceptively shifty too when he's out in the open. I still can't believe we got him in free agency & thank god the Pats didn't get him! OMG, Forte, Gronk, Edelman, Amendola, Bennett! With Brady, that sh*t would be frightening.

[Warfish]

1 hour ago, Jetster said:

A lot of Jet fans are underestimating Forte. He's not injury prone, he's a RB in the NFL.

A >30 year old Running Back.  Keep that in mind.

1 hour ago, Jetster said:

As a blocker & receiver he's miles ahead of Ivory.

Agreed, he's well known for those skills and a clear improvement there if healthy.

And he's a decent enough runner at this age.

But if we're banking on Powell/Robinson to carry the ground load, i think we're going to be disappointed.  

 

[PatsFanTX]

How many carries does Forte get a game?

 

my guess for carries (not receptions)

Forte: 14

Powell: 5

Robinson/Other: 2

Last season, the Jets averaged 67 offensive snaps per game.

So, with the current Jets QB situation, you expect them to throw 46 times per game?

[kelly]

@DarrylSlater what role do you see Khiry Robinson playing this year ? Is he just Forte/ Powell insurance ?

2:50 PM - 19 May 2016

 

He could be a bruising, short-yardage running back. He's not going to get a ton of carries, since Matt Forte and Bilal Powell will shoulder most of the workload. But I wouldn't expect Robinson to ride the pine for the entire season, either. He is a 220-pound guy, so look for his limited action (presuming Forte and Powell stay healthy) to come in situations that require a bullish runner. 

rest of above article : 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/mailbag_is_there_any_chance_jets_sign_mo_wilkerson.html#incart_river_index

 

[Jetster]

31 minutes ago, Warfish said:

A >30 year old Running Back.  Keep that in mind.

Agreed, he's well known for those skills and a clear improvement there if healthy.

And he's a decent enough runner at this age.

But if we're banking on Powell/Robinson to carry the ground load, i think we're going to be disappointed.  

 

I've had Forte in fantasy for 3 years, he's a pass catching monster & so good at getting open Cutler just gets sick of throwing him the ball,lol. I'm not kidding u I'm in a PPR league & Cutler is a gambler, always trying to push the ball down the field. This dude is a great outlet for whoever is taking snaps for us. Powell was tremendous last year & was the catalyst to our winning streak, in fact I think we lost every game he was unavailable. Robinson is the wildcard. According to an article I read, Bill Parcells watched a Jaguar practice live, and told their coach that guy needs more reps, he reminded Parcells of Curtis Martin.

Ivory made our offense way to easy to defend on 1st & 2nd down. With both Forte & Powell splitting reps, Chan can keep the entire playbook open for either one as they're interchangeable. Robinson can be more of a closer when the defense tires. When you look at our skill players at WR, add these 3 RBs, and just imagine if Amaro breaks out under Gailey? Seems last years camp Gailey didn't like what he saw in Amaro (I believe the guy doesn't work hard enough in the gym & he should be a lot stronger). The guy was a high 2nd round pick & needs to step it up this year.  Let's hope he put his nose to the grindstone, got himself some trainers & comes in smoking. If that happens this team could be really fun to watch, their Redzone offense could be off the charts with a lot of size between, Marshall, Decker, Enunwa, Amaro, maybe Peake?, and with Forte in the backfield. 

Looking around the NFL, that's a deep big group to defend with everyone of them big enough to fight for every ball.

[JETSfaninNE]

23 minutes ago, kelly said:

@DarrylSlater what role do you see Khiry Robinson playing this year ? Is he just Forte/ Powell insurance ?

2:50 PM - 19 May 2016

 

He could be a bruising, short-yardage running back. He's not going to get a ton of carries, since Matt Forte and Bilal Powell will shoulder most of the workload. But I wouldn't expect Robinson to ride the pine for the entire season, either. He is a 220-pound guy, so look for his limited action (presuming Forte and Powell stay healthy) to come in situations that require a bullish runner. 

rest of above article : 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/mailbag_is_there_any_chance_jets_sign_mo_wilkerson.html#incart_river_index

 

So since the Jets will be up by multiple touchdowns late in every game this year I think Khiry will get around 10 carries a game burning out clock and beating up defenses late in the games

[Long Island Leprechaun]

2 hours ago, Jetster said:

I've had Forte in fantasy for 3 years, he's a pass catching monster & so good at getting open Cutler just gets sick of throwing him the ball,lol. I'm not kidding u I'm in a PPR league & Cutler is a gambler, always trying to push the ball down the field. This dude is a great outlet for whoever is taking snaps for us. Powell was tremendous last year & was the catalyst to our winning streak, in fact I think we lost every game he was unavailable. Robinson is the wildcard. According to an article I read, Bill Parcells watched a Jaguar practice live, and told their coach that guy needs more reps, he reminded Parcells of Curtis Martin.

Ivory made our offense way to easy to defend on 1st & 2nd down. With both Forte & Powell splitting reps, Chan can keep the entire playbook open for either one as they're interchangeable. Robinson can be more of a closer when the defense tires. When you look at our skill players at WR, add these 3 RBs, and just imagine if Amaro breaks out under Gailey? Seems last years camp Gailey didn't like what he saw in Amaro (I believe the guy doesn't work hard enough in the gym & he should be a lot stronger). The guy was a high 2nd round pick & needs to step it up this year.  Let's hope he put his nose to the grindstone, got himself some trainers & comes in smoking. If that happens this team could be really fun to watch, their Redzone offense could be off the charts with a lot of size between, Marshall, Decker, Enunwa, Amaro, maybe Peake?, and with Forte in the backfield. 

Looking around the NFL, that's a deep big group to defend with everyone of them big enough to fight for every ball.

I concur with your enthusiasm... the obvious unmentioned position is QB. Total wildcard. Can we screw Fitz's head onto Geno's body? I'm beginning to think we will see Petty or Hackenberg after six or so games, unless Geno has had a brain transplant.

[Jetster]

2 hours ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

I concur with your enthusiasm... the obvious unmentioned position is QB. Total wildcard. Can we screw Fitz's head onto Geno's body? I'm beginning to think we will see Petty or Hackenberg after six or so games, unless Geno has had a brain transplant.

Geno scares the hell out of me even though I think he'll do well. He's just such an unknown in that his confidence was completely shattered playing with the scrubbeenies he played with for 2 years. Whatever we do we have to find a QB I'd hate to waste a season but if Fitz won't play for low pay somebodies got to step up.

[kelly]

A look at what's happening around the New York Jets :

~ ~  6. Welcome Matt: Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey still is figuring out ways to deploy Matt Forte, the NFL's most prolific pass-catching back since his rookie year, 2008. When asked how Forte fits into his system, Gailey replied, "That's not the question. The question is, how do we adjust the system to fit Matt Forten ? "

A good reference point might be C.J. Spiller, formerly of the Buffalo Bills. From 2011 to 2013 under Gailey, Spiller caught 115 passes. Gailey moved him around the formation, sometimes lining him up wide or in the slot. Forte has that kind of versatility.

rest of above article :

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60610/jets-ryan-fitzpatrick-standoff-could-use-a-word-from-ron-burgundy

[drdetroit]

I'd like to see two back sets with both Forte and Powell.  

[kelly]

— Matt Forte, the Jets' new No. 1 running back, said he feels physically fresh, and ready to roll, entering his ninth NFL season. 

He has 2,077 career carries on his body, plus 500 catches. And he is 30 years old. So he knows maintenance is critical. After the Bears opted to not re-sign Forte, he began his search for a new team. He said the Jets' training room was a factor in him choosing them, as he attempts to return to his old form. "That was one of the reasons for me wanting to come here, because the training room is so good," Forte told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, after an organized team activities practice. "At this point in your career, health is so important. You're not as young as you used to be, or recover as fast as you used to. But if you get the right [trainers] in there and work with them, you can turn back the time." 

Forte ran for a career-low 898 yards last season, after eclipsing 1,000 yards in four of the previous five seasons (plus 997 yards in 2011). He totaled a career-low 1,287 rushing and receiving yards last season. In his first seven seasons, he averaged 1,633 total yards, including 1,933 in 2013 and 1,846 in 2014 — his career's two best totals. So he has played well lately. Just not as well last year. 

Can Forte, long a dangerous dual-threat player, turn back time with the Jets ?

He likes hearing how offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said recently that he'll tailor his system to Forte's strengths, rather than trying to shoehorn Forte into the schematic confines of a predetermined offensive plan. "That's what really good coordinators do," Forte said. "If you have guys with talent, you don't try to force them into doing something they're not good at." 

So far, Forte enjoys that the Jets mix shotgun formations with under-center alignments. The Bears were shotgun-heavy in recent seasons."I'm looking forward to getting back into having a fullback, a lead blocker, a power-type running game," Forte said. "I see myself being used the same way I've always been used in my entire career, in the passing game and in the run game. Whether that's being split out or running routes from the backfield, we've yet to determine that. But I'm pretty sure both will be accomplished." 

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/06/matt_forte_wants_to_turn_back_the_time_with_jets.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

Matt Forte has reached that dreaded age for running backs -- 30. In football-speak, it's the Big Three Oh-no.

His AARP membership card will be arriving shortly in the mail. Well, not really, but 30 has a stigma, and it attaches itself to the best of running backs, regardless of past production. In Forte's case, it's pronounced because he's coming off a career low in rushing yards.Forte ignores the noise. He's ready to conquer the stereotype, confident there's still enough electricity in his legs to win an NFL rushing title. His inspiration is Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, who in 2004 won the rushing crown at 31 in his last full season with the New York Jets. He's the oldest player in history to do it, proof that a man's heart can conquer the date on a birth certificate.

"That's motivation for me personally, to strive to achieve that," said Forte, who signed with the Jets in March. "It just goes to show you all the cliché sayings aren't always true. It's not going to be easy -- it's a tough thing to do -- but there's definitely a lot of motivation in that respect."Forte is only three years removed from his most prolific season, 2013, when he rushed for 1,339 yards for the Chicago Bears. That dropped to 1,038 the following season and 898 (in 13 games) the next, prompting the Bears to say goodbye in free agency. It's a young man's position, but the Jets saw enough in Forte to make him their No. 1 back, replacing the departed Chris Ivory.

Martin, for one, loves the move.

"Based on sheer talent, I think it's an upgrade, in my opinion," he said in a phone interview last week. "I don't mean any disrespect to Chris Ivory -- he's a really good running back -- but I think Forte is a better pure runner."Martin met Forte at a Super Bowl and came away impressed by his humble demeanor. Forte plays the game the way Martin played it from 1995 to 2005, which is to say he's a consistent, durable star who doesn't act like a star. Martin carried himself with such humility that he used to help the equipment staff by picking up towels on the locker room floor. Unlike some ego-driven players, he never thought he was bigger than the game or the team.

Forte comes to New York with the same reputation. He'll be a great fit in the locker room. The big question is whether he can turn back the clock a year or two. Martin can appreciate his position. When he turned 30, he heard the whispers, too."By the time a running back makes it to 30 in the NFL, he can start to lose that fire to do everything that got you there, that enabled you to have the longevity to play until 30," said Martin, who ran for 1,697 yards in his signature season. "One of the things I tried to do was push down harder on the gas instead of letting up. At 30, some people start to take their foot off the gas pedal. They may begin to take certain things for granted. I had this goal in my mind. Every year, I came in like I was a rookie. That mentality kept me young.

"I think people can do even better at 30 because you get so much smarter," Martin continued. "I wasn't doing all the moves and the spins I did when I was a rookie or early in my career. I became more efficient as a runner. That's what takes place as you get older, the efficiency you have every time you get the ball."Forte trained hard this offseason at his home in Chicago, participating in Pilates and running hills that in the winter months are used for sleigh riding. Fueled by his unceremonious separation from the Bears, Forte's objective is to prove he's still a No. 1 back.

"I watched [Martin] when he played, and it's awesome to play in his footsteps," Forte said. "Coming from Chicago, where you're playing in the footsteps of Walter Payton and Gale Sayers, you go from one good team with a great running back history to another. It's an honor for me to be here and to do that."Payton and Martin are among only four players in history who eclipsed 1,500 yards in a season at 30 or older. Good role models for a newbie in that age group.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60894/jets-matt-forte-hopes-to-pull-a-curtis-martin-defying-father-time

[RutgersJetFan]

From what I can tell by this article and my own observations, the Jets will be using the running backs to run the ball, catch passes, and score touchdowns.

[dbatesman]

Play them all together like the DL guys

[kelly]

As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game. I also am not including Ryan Fitzpatrick on the list because he is not technically a Jet at this time.

No. 15: Bilal Powell

Last year’s ranking: Not ranked

Position: Running back

Age: 27

How acquired: Selected in the fourth round of the 2011 Draft

Years left on contract: 3

2016 Salary Cap figure: $1.7 million

Looking back at 2015: Powell has always been a solid change-of-pace back for the Jets, but he really exploded in 2015, showing more quickness than he had earlier in his career.The numbers don’t reflect how important Powell was because he missed five games with an ankle injury. But the Jets’ 1-4 record without Powell shows how important he was to the team.

He missed four games in the middle of the season. When he returned, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey got Powell involved heavily in the passing game. Powell was a huge factor in the Jets’ five-game winning streak. He finished the season with a career-high 47 catches for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 70 times for 313 yards and a touchdown.

Powell had eight catches for 91 yards and a score against the Giants and seven catches for 54 yards against the Cowboys, becoming one of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s favorite targets.Powell reinjured the ankle and missed the season finale in Buffalo. The offense looked totally out of rhythm that day, and you can’t discount how Powell’s absence factored into that loss.

Outlook for 2016: The Jets let Powell know how they felt about him by signing him to a three-year, $11.25 million contract in free agency. Powell is one of the few holdovers left from the Mike Tannenbaum era. Powell’s ability to stick with the Jets through three general managers and four offensive coordinators shows how valued he is.

The Jets revamped their running back corps this offseason, but Powell remains in the middle of it. It will be interesting to see how Gailey divides up the carries between Powell and Matt Forte, who arrives with a great reputation and resume. Powell complemented former Jets running back Chris Ivory, who was more of a bruising back than he is, but Powell and Forte have similar skill sets, so this could be a trickier division of labor for Gailey.

You can count on Powell getting major touches this season, though. Gailey will figure out a way.

>     http://nypost.com/2016/07/07/jets-adore-bilal-powell-because-they-sputter-without-him/

[kelly]

Bilal Powell  is already on the mountain and he is in the midst of his climb to the top. Before his sixth training camp with the Jets, Powell again worked on his explosiveness and he added hills to his routine.“This time I worked on a lot of change of direction stuff, in and out of cuts and I did a lot of hills,” he said recently after a practice. “I did a bunch of band resistant workouts, I tried to stay away from the weights and do more lean stuff to help build muscle endurance.”

A fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2011, Powell favors the hills of Louisville, KY.  It was at Louisville where Powell rushed for 1,405 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and caught 18 passes as a senior, beginning to catch the eyes of pro scouts in the process.“We have a couple guys that come out in and out of town,” he said of his hills training. “I usually try to get a small group of guys who play around a couple small schools in the state of Kentucky. If its February to April, I’m usually by myself or my friend I played college ball with.

WHENEVER MY NUMBER IS CALLED

While Powell started the offseason at ground zero, he has a year under his belt in Chan Gailey’s system. He became a sparkplug for the offense late last season as the team played itself into playoff contention, catching 35 passes between Weeks 11-16.  In his final game of the season, Powell had 12 touches for 90 yards as the Jets captured their 10^th victory in an OT thriller against New England on Dec. 27.“Whenever my number has been called the past five seasons, I’m going to try my best to do it,” Powell said. “And I guess he (Gailey) found something in me and just ran with it. It was some pretty good schemes and the offensive staff did some tremendous jobs putting together game plans.”

A soft-spoken playmaker with humility, Powell’s versatility became a huge asset to a Jets team looking for a third receiving option.He consistently produced in space as his 47 receptions and 388 receiving yards were career highs.And he also flourished as a runner out of the shotgun formation while averaging a personnel best 4.5 yards per carry.“When you get into the gun, you usually spread defenses out, which allows you to diagnose the defense and the offensive blocking scheme,” he said. “You have to know what everybody is doing — who is going to who and that makes it a lot easier. It allows you to react off instinct.”

A FIRE UNDER ME

Unfortunately for the Jets, Powell suffered an ankle injury and was forced to sit out their Week 17 meeting against the Buffalo Bills.  With a playoff berth on the line, the high-octane offense scuffled without one of their top weapons.“Let me tell you something. It hurt worse when you could smell it and you didn’t have the chance to get to it. It was a good run — those are the type of runs that you need in November and December,” Powell said. “Those are some of the most important times that you really need to play football. We were so close and it put a fire under me to come out even harder this offseason and training camp, and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Jets RB depth has been tested early in camp as  Matt Forté  and  Bernard Pierce  have been slowed by hamstring injuries while  Khiry Robinson  (leg) remains on the PUP list.Through seven practices,most of the workload has been divided up among Powell, 1^st-year player  Dominique Williams  and rookie  Romar Morris .

“Anything happens in this game, in this business and the coaches keep track with the number of reps. They try to divide them into equal opportunities to keep everybody fresh,” said Powell, who re-signed with the club in March. “If you break a long run, you get a guy in. There’s no such thing as fresh legs in training camp, so you have to do a tremendous job of taking care of your body.”

THE NEXT STEP

But Powell looks fresh as ever, displaying his shiftiness and vision time and time again. He has been dynamic in the open field and seems to surprise defenders with an extra burst. Powell, who partnered well with Chris Ivory, is looking forward to joining forces with Forté.“He’s been in the league and he’s one of the best doing it. I’m still learning from him,” Powell said. “You can look at him and tell he knows and understands the game and I’m always trying to be a student of the game. I try to come in and learn every day and I’m excited to see what we can do together.”

Powell’s 2016 journey began on the hills of Louisville. Now picking up pace in Florham Park, Powell’s ultimate goal is the mountaintop. He has never played in a postseason game and he yearns for team success in the winter.

“The next step is to get into the playoffs, get into the Super Bowl. Those statistics don’t mean anything if you’re sitting at home in January and February,” he said. “We’re just trying to thrive and continue to build off what we have. We have a great group of guys at every position on offense and on defense. We just want to build this chemistry to get everybody going in the same direction and see what the season has in store for us.”

>      http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Bilal-Powell-Returns-with-Fire/22ddc5c3-facc-435b-ae3c-626340d69059

[drdetroit]

On May 20, 2016 at 2:51 PM, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Forte is also a great blocker. I'm excited to see how they work this trio as well. Makes the defense's job a lot harder.

Forte will start but will primarily be a third down back.  Powell will get a lot of the runs up the middle