/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47519273/Screen_Shot_2015-10-26_at_10.16.50_AM.0.0.png)
My first ever Big Cat Country article came a few days after Greg Olson was hired to replace Jedd Fisch as Jaguars offensive coordinator. I wrote mainly about how Olson adjusts his scheme to fit his players -- not the other way around.
Olson has always isolated his talent for individual purposes, utilizing players' strengths to benefit a team without trying to tap into compensations that don't actually exist.
This is why no one should be surprised that Toby Gerhart went into the game on Sunday with the ball placed one yard away from pay dirt. After all, Toby is the short-yardage back. He's a situational runner, built for goal line situations.
Back when I wrote that Olson article, though, I also highlighted Olson's biggest fault -- he's stubborn.
This is probably why the Jaguars ran Gerhart four times in a row and gained nothing.
If you can get past the initial perplexity, the sequence is actually pretty entertaining to watch.
1...2...3...4... Gerhart can't find the door https://t.co/puLiPFz66K
— Cole Hartley (@ColeFartley) October 26, 2015
The situation is pretty amusing as well.
The Jaguars rode the opening drive of the second half 79 yards down to the Bills' one-yard line. Rookie RB T.J. Yeldon caught fire during this drive, picking up 45 of the team's 79 yards.
When the Jaguars arrived at the one-yard line, however, the hot-handed Yeldon was swapped for Toby Gerhart. The Jags proceeded to pound the ball with Gerhart four consecutive times.
Shoving Gerhart into the line-up makes sense, I guess, because situational football is what the Jaguars practice. The team expects Toby to be able to gain one yard -- it's why he is still on the team.
Perhaps, though, common sense would lead to you try a different strategy if something doesn't work the first time, the second time, or the third time.
Here's something else -- when the Jaguars arrived at 4th down following Gerhart's first three failed attempts to gain 30 inches, a field goal would have put the team up by three scores.
Though, if we're being honest, I'm not sure which I'd feel more comfortable with attempting -- another Toby one-yard pounder or a Jason Myers 20-yard field goal.
Still, we won the game yesterday and that's fun, so I'm allowed to have fun with this. I ranked each of the four consecutive Gerhart Goalline Gaffes TM based on effort.
1. The "Hug"
Aww. Good try, buddy.
2. The "Over-before-it-started"
When Gerhart runs sideways, you know he isn't going to make any progress.
3. The "4-inch dive"
Man, just... I can't.
4. The "Woah-wait-that-might-have-actually-crossed-the-line"
Wait, did the ball cr -- eh, who cares.