Running back Matt Forte injured his left big toe last Sunday -- turf toe, he called it -- leaving his availability up in the air. The Jets aren't optimistic about his chances of playing, so they signed veteran Travaris Cadet as insurance.
"He could be ready by the end of the week or it will take another week, depending on how he feels," coach Todd Bowles said of Forte, who has rushed for a team-high 94 yards.
"It's tough to deal with because of the nature of your position at running back," said Forte, adding that this injury not as severe as the one in '08. "Obviously, there's a lot of pressure on the toes as you're running and making cuts, even blocking. I know it's tough to deal with. I've fought through it before."
Forte had been splitting reps almost evenly with Bilal Powell, with rookie Elijah McGuire picking up some scraps. Now the Jets will lean heavily on Powell, who is off to a sluggish start -- 72 yards on 28 carries, a 2.6 average.
Powell should serve as the lead back against the Jaguars, who are No. 12 in RB aFPA. However, the Jaguars have given up sizable yardage games to Alex Collins (82 yards), Derrick Henry (92 yards, touchdown), and Lamar Miller (65 yards) in each of the first three weeks. As the lead back in the final four games of last season, Powell averaged 23.7 fantasy points (PPR) and was second only to LeVeon Bell at his position in that span. When 4for4’s Joe Holka studied Powell for his Rushing Expectation series, he noted that Powell has “rare finishing ability” and “attacks defenses and runs with authority.” Holka also described himself as “a fan of Powell’s talent.” Powell hasn’t run the ball as well this year, but this should be his chance to get into a rhythm.
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