New York Jets: 3 Takeaways vs. Panthers in Week 12
2. Powell is not a feature running back
Bilal Powell led the Jets in carries against the Panthers on Sunday. He leads the team in carries, yards, and yard per carry on the season. He also is second on the team to Josh McCown in touchdown runs with two.
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What we have learned this season, despite what we wanted as fans, Powell isn’t a feature back in the NFL, period. He’s not a terrible running back, because he does have times where his best skills can be utilized. He’s just not a No. 1 guy in this league, and that’s okay.
Fans and media wanted Powell to do well this season, because we wanted someone to hang our hats on. We wanted someone to go out and cheer for, and Powell also seems to be a good guy. He never said anything wrong in the media, and always went out and just did his job.
That said, it’s not time to move on from him, just allow him to flourish in the No. 2 role and find a feature back in 2018 that we can rely on (consistently) for 20-25 carries per game. The Jets need a feature back to get back to the ground and pound they want to run, and Powell is just not that guy.