With Alex Collins set to miss this week’s game vs. Oakland, Gus Edwards is primed to give us an encore for last week’s performance.
It was announced not that long ago that Baltimore Ravens running back Alex Collins would miss the team’s game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday November 25th. Because of this, the door has been left open for 2018 undrafted rookie free agent Gus Edwards to come and shine once again.
Edwards, who is not a household name as of today, was signed to the Ravens after going undrafted out of Rutgers University. Seeing limited action throughout the 2018 season, Edwards came seemingly out of nowhere to dominate the Cincinnati Bengals in a week 11 victory for Baltimore. Curiously enough, this came at the same time fellow rookie Lamar Jackson got his first career start for the Ravens. The day couldn’t have gone any better for the two of them.
Each of these young men rushed for over 100-yards, but it was Gus Edwards who had the bigger impact. Edwards rushed for 115-yards on just 17 carries, including his first career touchdown. The only other time this season we saw Edwards get double-digit touches was in a week six blowout of the Tennessee Titans. In that game, Edwards notched 10 carries for 42-yards.
All the hype headed into this season revolved around Alex Collins, but he simply hasn’t stepped up to the plate. Yes, Collins has eight touchdowns on the year, but he has been a mediocre runner as a whole. He still shows flashes of his one-cut style running, but those come few-and-far between. Clearly, we can’t blame the offensive line for his issues when Gus Edwards blows up in his first taste of starting reps.
But now with Collins sidelined with a foot injury, the stage is set for Edwards to once again steal the show on offense. Against a weak Oakland Raiders defense, another dominate performance from the 6’1″ 238-lbs. running back could set him up for a late season surge. With the Ravens needing a consistent spark from their offense, it would appear that Edwards can be a catalyst for this team.
The Baltimore Ravens have been in need of a featured running back all season long, and they may have finally found it in Gus Edwards. Should he go off once again today, both he and Lamar Jackson could be the building blocks to help get the Ravens firmly back into the playoffs.