Jets rookie running back makes big statement for more chances
Elijah McGuire took his shot Sunday — and didn’t miss.
In a huge day for the Jets’ rushing attack, even with the injured veteran Matt Forte inactive, the rookie McGuire found the end zone for the first time on a 69-yard touchdown run that helped spark a 23-20 overtime win against the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium.
“It felt great, man. I scored a lot of college touchdowns, but to get the NFL touchdown, it’s different,” said McGuire, who scored 52 touchdowns over four years at Louisiana-Lafayette. “I wouldn’t take it back. I enjoyed it with my teammates.”
It took just one cut for McGuire to break free through a big hole and find the end zone. His feeling seeing green?
“You could cancel Christmas,” McGuire said, grinning ear to ear.
McGuire finished with 10 carries for 93 yards and two receptions for 38 yards. Along with Bilal Powell’s 163 rushing yards (including a 75-yard touchdown) and 38 receiving yards, the Jets’ two-headed running attack had no trouble slicing through the Jaguars’ front seven for 321 all-purpose yards.
“Both of those guys did a great job popping through and running the football,” coach Todd Bowles said. “It’s a tough defense to run against. We needed every big play they got. Those guys did a heck of a job.”
Powell wasn’t surprised by McGuire’s success.
“You can’t even tell [McGuire] is a rookie, just by the way he approaches it,” Powell said. “He’s just so explosive, so smart and so coachable.”
McGuire and Powell combined to average 8.0 yards per carry and it marked the first time in franchise history the Jets had two touchdown runs of 60-plus yards in the same game.
“That’s two dynamic backs,” McGuire said. “That’s what you want.”
Once McGuire got beyond the line of scrimmage, only a safety stood between him and the end zone. He turned on the jets and ran around him to find a path to the end zone and a 17-10 Jets lead in the third quarter.
McGuire, who saw plenty of reps during the preseason when Forte and Powell were sidelined with injuries, entered Sunday with 13 carries for 63 yards but made the most of his opportunity.
“I felt like I proved on a lot of things, but it’s not just me, it’s the coaching staff for even trusting me,” McGuire said. “They trusted me and they know what I’m capable of doing. I just gotta go out there and put everything on film.”