NY Jets: Team must make sure to preserve Chris Ivory

For the NY Jets and their success to continue at the rate they’re going, they must make sure to preserve Chris Ivory and not overwork him.

It’s no secret that Ivory is making quite the name for himself this season. He is playing like a man on a mission that he can indeed be one of the top running backs in the NFL with his amazing skill-set to break tackles and literally plow through defenders with ease.

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So far this season, Ivory has totaled 314 rushing yards on 63 carries for 3 touchdowns. He’s averaging 104.7 yards per game and a solid 5.0 yards per attempt.

The way he’s playing is pretty relentless as his power bruising style of rushing helps open up everything else on offense for the Jets.

One thing to consider however is his longevity to be relatively healthy for the rest of the season. He already missed a game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a groin injury and it’s a proven fact that when Ivory starts, he brings an incredible dimension on offense that usually leads to victory.

The Jets need to be careful and not overwork him by giving him too much of the workload of the ground game. Since they also have Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy, the Jets should make sure to give Ivory the majority of snaps but also give him important breathers and rest throughout football games.

Thanks to the Media Relations Department of the Jets, here is a direct quote from head coach Todd Bowles about preserving him for the rest of the season:

It’s a long haul. After that (the Bye Week) we have 12 straight (games), so, we’re going to monitor (his touches) and make sure that he’s getting his work in, but we’re still giving him some breaks in between, here and there. We know he’s a bell-cow and everything else, but we still have two other guys that can run the ball. In a 12-week season, that’s a long time, so we’ve got to make sure he stays healthy.

Oct 4, 2015; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets running back Chris Ivory (33) carries the ball against the Miami Dolphins in Game 12 of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There is a big stretch coming up for the Jets as they now have 12 straight weeks to play in after their bye. If they are to continue the momentum, it’s imperative that Ivory be healthy to start every game and be handled in a way that will see him not miss anymore significant amounts of time due to being overworked.

The Jets have other options to keep those chains moving at running back as I honestly believe Stacy could very well be a hidden gem on offense once he’s given enough reps to show what he brings to the table.

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