ASHBURN — Since rushing for 121 yards in the season opener, Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris has struggled to get going.
In the six games that followed, Morris has only gained 181 yards on 66 carries, an average of 2.74 yards per carry.
The run game has struggled mightily since dominating the first two weeks, when the Redskins ranked first after rushing for 343 yards. They’ve since plummeted to 21st.
The last three games have been particularly staggering, as Morris has rushed for 41 yards on 25 carries. In Sunday’s 31-30 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Morris only played 10 of 64 offensive snaps and rushed for five yards on six carries. Matt Jones played 45 offensive snaps on Sunday.
“We’ve got to get Alfred going, no question about it,” Gruden said on Monday. “He didn’t get many looks again yesterday. The last three weeks, like you said, have been rough outings for him. As far as the touches that he gets, they haven’t been pretty. I still intend on using both of them though. I think Matt [Jones] does a great job of coming in here and giving you a different little flavor as far as the running backs. He’s a little bit bigger. I think both of them will get their touches but we do have to get Alfred going. But we’re not giving up on Alfred just because he’s had three tough weeks in a row. But it’s not all on Alfred obviously.”
Nearly every week Morris struggles, Gruden offers the same answer. He’s insists that he is going to continue to stick with the duo of Morris and Jones.
Of course, Morris’ struggles are not a singular issue. The offensive line has not blocked nearly as well as it did in the first two weeks in the season. When there are holes, Morris and Jones have not always hit the gaps correctly.
Gruden has said in the past that a number of things need to be done correctly for the rushing attack to be successful and right now, the Redskins can’t seem to do any of it right.
Until they find a way to do so, Morris’ playing time will continue to be reduced.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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