Philadelphia Eagles: Did Jay Ajayi get clowned vs the Bears?

After playing lights out during his first two games in Philly, Jay Ajayi only received five carries in his third game with the Philadelphia Eagles. But why?

Jay Ajayi had a tough afternoon in South Philly when the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against the Chicago Bears in Week 12.

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While the team did breeze past John Fox‘s squad by a score of 31-3 in route to a 10-1 record, for the first time since their Super Bowl run in 2004, the team was not without their struggles at the Linc.

Whether it be dropping open passes, missed assignments, or fumbles, oh so many fumbles, the team put on a sloppy showing in front of their home crowd, and no player had a worse day than the team’s newest offensive weapon Jay Ajayi.

Ajayi, a Boise State product came to South Philly after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline, has proven himself to be one of the NFL’s best young running backs, after a breakout sophomore campaign where he finished fourth in rushing and even reached the Pro Bowl. While it was clear from the start that he would become part of a running back committee when he joined Doug Pederson‘s squad, a notable change from his lead back status in Miami, who would have expected him to only receive five offensive touches against one of the leagues worst teams?

After starting running back LeGarrette Blount had some initial success against the Bears’ front seven in route to a 97-yard performance, Ajayi was used sparingly for the majority of the afternoon, a decision that was only vindicated by a dropped pass in the first half and an incredibly unfortunate fumble late in the second half.

While Pederson has obviously embraced a committee approach at virtually every position on the team, with receivers, running backs, tight ends, and defensive lineman shuffling in and out of the game with regularity, why would he limit Ajayi, a player who could prove essential to their eventual Super Bowl run, with only five touches on seven targets?

Sure, Ajayi could have played better, but when the team was firmly in the lead and had an opportunity to give backup quarterback Nick Foles almost a full quarters worth of work against the Bears, why didn’t Pederson and company give Ajayi an opportunity to work through his issues against a live opponent? I mean I’ve personally never been traded midseason to a new team and then been expected to perform at a high level, but I imagine that there would be some growing pains.

Now I know the team wanted to get Blount to 100-yards rushing, a mark he ultimately missed by only three yards, but we already know that the former Oregon Duck is a reliable battering ram for this team, and while passing the century mark is a nice achievement for a player who has been a consummate pro for the Eagles this season, shouldn’t Ajayi’s assimilation into the offence be considered more of a priority?

While it’s unlikely the former Boise State Bronco will ever receive the 20-plus carries per game that he became accustomed to during his breakout season with the Dolphins, at least this season, it’s entirely understandable that he wouldn’t be enthralled with receiving single digit carries, even in a resounding win. Players want to play, and when a player possesses the home run potential Ajayi does, it’s a shame to see him in such a limited role.

Next: Wentz Weekly: Carson adds three touchdown passes in rout of the Bears

Now in not saying that this limited action deserves any sort of pouting or malcontent in the locker room, but I would venture to say that the Eagles didn’t utilize one of their premier offensive weapons in front of their home crowd, a trend that will hopefully change in the forthcoming weeks.

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Did Jay Ajayi get clowned?

By Matty Breisch | Nov 27, 2017

After playing lights out during his first two games in Philly, Jay Ajayi only received five carries in his third game with the Philadelphia Eagles. But why?

More from Philadelphia Sports