LANDOVER — Longest run of the day for Washington Redskins lead back Matt Jones? Fifty-seven yards. Backup running back Robert Kelley? Forty-five yards.
Twice this season, Jones has run for less than 57 yards in a game. Kelley, a rookie, had run for 29 total yards coming into the game. His 45-yard carry alone vaulted him past his previous lagging total.
Jones and Kelley, with a little Chris Thompson mixed in, produced a day running the football that had been long lost around Washington. The Redskins finished with a season-high 230 rushing yards, their largest total since gaining 274 yards in Week 17 of 2012. Jones picked up 135 alone, the most of his two-year career. As a group, the Redskins averaged 7 yards per carry.
“I think they’re all good players,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “And Chris gives you something a little different. He’s one of our third-down backs but he can do some first-down carries. Matt’s a big plugger and the then great change up is Fat Rob. He did a great job today, great vision, he runs through tackles. I like all three of them.”
Kelley’s influence is the most unlikely of the group. He waited on the announcement of final cuts Sept. 3 to see if he made the 53-man roster. Kelley was an undrafted free agent out of Tulane. The path to the NFL is usually long, arduous and fleeting for such players. Kelley’s effective work in the preseason put him on the roster. His first carry came in Week 3 against the New York Giants. He had four carries for just seven yards that week.
Each week since has been an improvement. One carry for four yards against Cleveland moved to three carries for 18 yards at Baltimore. Then, this week: 5 carries for 59 yards, dragged down by his dreadlocks at the end of a 45-yard run.
“That’s why they got us here,” Kelley said.
Jones’ 135 yards was the most by a Redskins running back since Alfred Morris gained 139 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 7, 2013. It’s a vast departure from Week 1 when Jones rushed just seven times for 24 yards, starting the Redskins early and massive imbalance on offense. He also has lost just one fumble through the first six weeks of the season, alleviating an ill from last year, when he fumbled five times and lost four.
At the end of the second quarter, Jones and Kelley lined up in the backfield together. Five consecutive passes in a goal-to-go situation failed. Thompson tried to run behind the right guard. That didn’t work. Finally, Jones looped around the left side for his 1-yard touchdown, scoring in the powerful way the Redskins had been missing much of the season.
“You don’t expect it, obviously,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of the rushing prowess.
Since it has been employed more of late, opponents may have a different view going forward.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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