Detroit Lions running back LeGarrette Blount is on pace for the least productive season since leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2012 year.
Blount had gained just 151 yards on 41 carries with two touchdowns in his 13 games with the Buccaneers that season. He’s on pace to finish with less than 300 yards and a career-worst 2.3 yards per attempt this season in Detroit.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Blount isn’t quite sure what to make of his year so far with the Lions, but he hopes it can improve over the final six games of the season.
“It’s not really as productive as I would have wanted it to be, but at the end of the day you’ve got to strap it up and go play football,” Blount said. “You can’t live in the past, so I’m just moving on from this game.”
Blount has been a backup option to rookie starter Kerryon Johnson. But with Johnson set to miss time due to a knee injury, Blount is set to see an increased role. He gained 766 yards with two touchdowns in 16 games with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. While Detroit has been a running back wasteland for much of the recent past, Johnson has managed to find success. He’s gained 641 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 10 games for the Lions this season.
Blount is a different type of runner than Johnson and he hasn’t been able to match that production in the chances he’s received. It’s a question Blount says he doesn’t have the answer to.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Blount said.. “Luck of the draw. You just don’t know. Like I said, that’ll be something that Matty P (Patricia) would be able to answer more than I would.”
Blount hasn’t had even a double-digit rushing game in the last four weeks. He’s carried 21 times for 18 yards over that span.