Maurice Jones-Drew coy about possible NFL rushing title

by Adam Stites on Dec 8, 2011 5:43 PM EST in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars

With a three yard lead on Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, Maurice Jones-Drew has the lead in rushing yardage in the NFL with just four games to play and has the potential to be the first ever Jaguars running back to win the NFL rushing title. If he's able to pull it off it would make him the third straight AFC South player to earn the accomplishment and put him in elite rushing company.

Yet with the Jaguars at 3-9, Jones-Drew sounds less than enthused about the possibility:

"I'd rather win. I could care less. I know you probably think I'm bull-jiving you, because this is PG, but I could care less about this rushing title. I want to win. People remember winners. They don't remember guys; I mean tell me who was the rushing leader in '93. Does anyone know? It could have been Emmitt [Smith] but I don't know. You don't know but you know won the Super Bowl in '93, right?"

While Jones-Drew may be downplaying the potential accomplishment and his potential at earning the title, the Jaguars offensive line isn't. Today Uche Nwaneri spoke to John Oehser and said, "To have him take first place in the lead for the rushing title, that makes us really proud."

What makes the accomplishment most impressive, as ESPN's Paul Kuharsky pointed out earlier today, is that Jones-Drew has managed to accumulate this yardage on a team with an incredibly poor passing offense. Historically, there have been running backs that managed to earn the rushing title with the league's 32nd ranked pass offenses, (most recently, Jamal Lewis is 2003) but that's usually been a product of that team abandoning their pass offense to help their running backs statistically.

Jones-Drew has seen eight and nine man boxes for the last few years in Jacksonville and with Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars passing troubles, he's seen them more than ever in 2011. His production is truly impressive and an NFL rushing title would be an excellent mark on a résumé that could potentially be Hall of Fame worthy.

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DREEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWVAAAAUUUUULLLLLLL!!!!!!

"Sad fact about our generation: Most ppl would rather hear "you look good" than "you are good". We spend thousands a year on cars, clothes, & cosmetics; Forget that. I can give you a Bible for free. Save money, save your soul. Get right with the Savior, Jesus Christ."- Travis D. Holmes

by T.Holmes on Dec 8, 2011 5:56 PM EST reply actions

hahahaha drewvaulll

by FgallosJAGS on Dec 9, 2011 10:46 AM EST up reply actions

What a class act

If only this team had more men/players like this!

by Jags85 on Dec 8, 2011 6:02 PM EST via mobile reply actions

We need 21 more guys just like him.

by JagSoldier on Dec 8, 2011 6:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Personality Diversity

Is what makes teams, and on a much larger scale society, click.

Just sayin

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Dec 8, 2011 8:57 PM EST up reply actions

hes lying. as he should

MJD is a class act and he knows how to handle this but don’t get it wrong mojo is a very prideful guy and i guarantee that this is his #1 motivation every game from now on. because what else is there for him to achieve besides this? all team goals are done. kudos to him for saying the right things but I am pretty sure he wants this bad. really bad.

by duvaljag on Dec 8, 2011 6:51 PM EST reply actions

He's playing for the guys next to him

by Ewdtrey on Dec 10, 2011 2:56 AM EST up reply actions

I agree, Duvaljag

…Mojo said exactly what he should say..nothing more, nothing less. Appearing gleeful in public on a team with 3 wins would surely get him tons of negative press…kinda like his comment about Jay Cutler did a season or so ago. I love the fact he sounds pissed off. Our entire team should be pissed off..even the waterboys. It especially bothered me listening to JDR and his monotone “coach talk” every week on the radio as we piled up the L’s…kinda makes me long for the Coughlin days, with his mouth-open, rosy-cheeked, angry staring, pissed off way of handling the media.

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." - Napoleon Bonaparte

by 78hustla Jag on Dec 8, 2011 7:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Sure, the entire roster in the 90's hated Coughlin...

..but do you want your players to be buddies with the HC? Anyway, if Mojo wins the title, I’m sure he will have no problems with us celebrating that achievement for him, while he prepares for the next team on the schedule. Admittedly, I’m a Fred Taylor guy, and always will be, but tons of respect should go to Mojo AND G. Jones for our rushing attack.

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." - Napoleon Bonaparte

by 78hustla Jag on Dec 8, 2011 8:00 PM EST via mobile reply actions

This would be a nice consolation prize

to a season otherwise full of booboo.

by CheapSeat on Dec 8, 2011 10:28 PM EST reply actions

Best 2nd round pick ever!!

Take stock in your lives, but leave your livestock alone

by MadKow on Dec 9, 2011 7:27 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

MJD is a monster...

and as they say “pound for pound” probably the toughest guy in the league. However, I think he would be even more productive if the offensive coordinator knew how to mix the pass with the run better. Play action on first down because they have to respect MJD running so much, or on 2nd and 1 or 2. On a team that is known to be run first(and second and third) any semblance of a passing game would increase MJD’s productivity. Also, in a run oriented offense, how does Greg Jones, perhaps the strongest FB in the league, get 9 , that"s right 9 carries in 4 years???? He’s averaged over 5 yards a carry on those 9 carries. Imagine trying to tackle Jones in the 4th quarter after being pounded by MJD all day. As you can see, not much of a Dirk Koetter fan.

by Jaggernaut on Dec 9, 2011 8:19 AM EST reply actions