After slow start, rookie RB Michael Carter proved he can carry the load for the Jets
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Michael Carter proved he’s a key building block for the Jets during his rookie season.
The 5-8, 201-pound former North Carolina standout emerged as Gang Green’s lead back after a slow start and he ended up leading Robert Saleh’s team in scrimmage yards (964), which was fourth best among NFL rookies. His final stats included 639 yards on the ground, a strong 4.35 yards per carry, and four touchdowns in 14 games. He added 325 receiving yards.
There’s an argument to be made that if Carter didn’t suffer an ankle injury against the Dolphins in Week 11 (which cost him three games), and a concussion against the Buccaneers, he could have made a charge at a 1,000-yard season. The Jets haven’t had a back go over 1,000 yards since Chris Ivory in 2015.
Regardless, it was a good rookie year, and the Jets go into the offseason knowing they have a key cog in place in their running back room.
Carter’s best trait as a first-year pro was his ability to run through contact. He finished with 558 yards after contact and his per carry average of 3.8 was ninth best in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. In addition, he averaged a broken tackle per 11 rushes (12th highest in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference).
His best game came against the Jaguars in Week 16 when he erupted for 118 yards on 16 carries in Gang Green’s 26-21 victory. He looked to keep things rolling the following week against the Buccaneers and delivered an explosive 55-yard run on the third play of the game. But he was forced out of the game later in the first half with a concussion.
Overall, though, it was a slow start to the season for Carter as the entire Jets offense came out of the gate stuck in the mud. Quarterback Zach Wilson went through his rookie growing pains, Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur struggled early as a first-year play-caller, and the offensive line struggled with chemistry, communication and simply getting the defense blocked.
So there were a bunch of reasons why Carter didn’t produce right from the start. In his first six games, he averaged just 3.48 yards per carry with 202 yards and two touchdowns.
“At the beginning of the year, just speaking from an offensive perspective, we walked around a lot and that’s something that we needed to fix. Because just being candid, like really transparent, a lot of these guys came from San Francisco and you watch one of their games and these guys are like a fricken army, their offense moves like a little army,” Carter said after the Jets season finale against the Bills about the new coaching staff’s ties to the 49ers.
Once the offense got the hang of the system, the production from the backs improved.
“I think we ran the ball better,” Carter said of the Jets down the stretch.
So as the season progressed, and the attention to detail improved, Carter’s production doubled. In the next seven games, he had 418 rushing yards (5.23 average) with two touchdowns and 194 receiving yards.
What helped accelerate Carter’s growth was LaFleur’s development as a play-caller, the offensive line working together better and improved play from the quarterback position.
One key aspect of his game that Carter needs to focus on during the offseason is attacking between the tackles. The bulk of his yards came from running outside the tackles (426, 4.8 average). But his average dropped to 3.7 yards per carry when he took it up the middle.
That’s not all on him, though. The interior offensive line needs to do a better job of creating creases for him. He’ll get better, too, as the interior run blocking improves and he learns how to attack the inside rushing tracks better.
Carter is dynamic running outside the tackles, which is a strength. Once he elevates his inside game, he could become a top tier running back.
Overall, the Jets got great value when they drafted Carter in the fourth round (107th overall) and he showed that he can be the No. 1 back for Gang Green in the future.
If he can stay healthy as a sophomore, 1,000 yards on the ground should be the goal.