Matt Forte has looked great in his first few games with the New York Jets. However, you should be concerned that he is being overused.
Through two games, Matt Forte has been a big part of the New York Jets offense.
With that said, he logged 52 total carries in those two games, which puts him on pace for 416 carries on the year. This would be a career high by a long shot.
At 30 going on 31-years old, you can’t expect Matt Forte to carry the football at the rate he has so far, especially without getting hurt. Given that he is a key piece to this offense, the Jets have to limit his touches in order to protect him.
Although Forte is extremely dynamic, he is also known for getting banged up while he sees so much action in not only the running game but in the receiving game as well.
Bilal Powell needs to have more attempts, and not just in the form of the senseless shovel pass play. In two games he only has five carries. Powell is also an explosive runner, as seen in the Week 1 Cincinnati game when he averaged 10.2 yards per carry on four attempts.
The Jets don’t have a legitimate third option in the backfield and it can potentially come back to bite them, especially if they run Forte into the ground.
This shouldn’t be misconstrued as calling for a more pass style offense. It’s important to have a balanced offense and the Jets certainly have weapons to sustain a solid offense in both the passing and rushing game.
It’s more a cause for concern when looking a few weeks down the road. Forte’s career high in attempts was 316 during his rookie year back in 2008. He has a lot of mileage on him at this point in his career.
Last year, Forte had 218 attempts in 13 games. In order to prevent another injury, it would be wise to spell Forte and give Powell more touches.
Just last year we saw the Jets overuse Chris Ivory, who got out to a hot start but was slowed down as the year went on. As a result, Powell saw more action later in the season — he thrived.
Ideally, Gang Green should look into acquiring a third option in the backfield who can spell Forte/Powell if needed.
It’s tough to complain when the Jets’ offense has looked strong — especially Forte. But in a long 16-game season, it’s important to realize that it’s a marathon rather than a sprint.
