The Jaguars, like many teams in the NFL, employee a two-back system featuring second-year running back Maurice Jones-Drew and veteran Fred Taylor. The duo didn't have much success last week, however, as the Titans dominated the running game on both sides (rushing for 282 and holding the Jaguars to 72 yards on the ground).
Last season they formed quite the pair, combining for 2,087 yards and 18 touchdowns (13 for Jones-Drew).
Atlanta rushed for 96 yards last week on just a 3.4-yard per carry average. Some of that was field position, as the Falcons were forced to pound the ball out of their own end for much of the game. Pro Bowl running back Warrick Dunn rushed 22 times for 55 yards while second-year back Jerious Norwood had five rushes for 33 yards.
Getting the running game on track will be a focus of the Falcons this week, especially with the success Tennessee had running against the Jaguars in Week 1.
But the Jaguars don't figure to be offering an easy path for opposing running backs, especially with a roster of athletic linebackers and defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.
"We have to be able to get penetration," Stroud said Wednesday. "They're a zone-running team and they don't necessarily attack you. But they do a good job getting guys running side to side. Then Warrick Dunn or Norwood pick where they want to go and they hit it."
When it comes to stopping the Jaguars run, the Falcons are focusing their attention on the opening minutes of the game and on first and second down. The Vikings established the run early and rookie Adrian Peterson finished with 103 of the team's 139 rushing yards.
"We want to get off the field and give our offense time to make plays and do things," defensive end John Abraham said. "Letting Fred Taylor run for 5 or 6 yards on first down is not going to do it. I think we gave up a lot of yards on first down. That's a big thing we have to stop. We want to get them in to a passing down to give our pass rushers a chance to get to the quarterback."
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