We often talk about using late-round picks on handcuff running backs who can become gold if the starters get hurt (as they so often do). In Washington, Alfred Morris is healthy, but he's getting seriously pushed by Matt Jones anyway.
Surpassed?
In last night's loss to the Giants, Jones got the first running back carry of the game. He carried 11 times for 38 yards, almost twice as many rushes and yards as Morris (6 for 19).
Both of those backs were at 3.5 yards per carry or worse, and Jones also lost a fumble through the end zone for a safety. Despite the yards per attempt, Morris is playing fine -- no reason to think he's going to get benched.
But Jones has looked a little better the past two weeks. He's got some giddy up in his legs and runs with power and attitude. Way back around the draft Washington's GM compared him to Marshawn Lynch, which doesn't sound so far fetched anymore.
Morris doesn't even turn 27 until later in the season, so this isn't a case of him being an older back on his last legs. But he's in a contract year, and presumably would like to be paid well next March. And Washington has Jones.
Big question is whether Jones will be better the rest of this year. If the snap counts for the two continue the way they're trending, the answer is yes.
If you watched the game last night, you know that Kirk Cousins is terrible, repeatedly missing throws that could have made a difference in the game. Couple of touchdowns to Jordan Reed that good quarterbacks make. Washington, despite their surprising win over St. Louis, is a bad team that's going to be playing from behind a lot. That works against Morris and Jones, and favors third-down back Chris Thompson.
Probably the main takeaway here is, do not count on Morris as a starter going forward. If you've got Jones, now might be the time to try and trade him away, on the idea he's going to surpass Morris. Because a strong possibility is that the two will play in a committee, and neither will play much when the team is behind. Which will be often.
--Andy Richardson