Maurice Jones-Drew: Jaguars RB Will Reportedly Assume Starting Role vs. Texans

Maurice Jones-Drew was relegated to backup duties in Week 1 after returning from his holdout, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have decided to take the shackles off of their All-Pro running back.

The Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com) that Jones-Drew will start in the backfield for Jacksonville in its home opener, stating that "Jones-Drew will return to his starting role when the Jaguars (0-1) try to bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss in the opener Sunday against AFC South rival Houston (1-0)."

A lot of this has to do with Rashad Jennings' knee injury. Per the Florida Times-Union, he isn't expected to play in Week 2, but this was a predictable move either way.

Jacksonville's hopes for success rest firmly on its star ball-carrier's shoulders, and he proved that he still had "it" in Week 1.

Jones-Drew carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards in his team's loss to Minnesota last week. That's not up to par for the NFL's reigning rushing champion, but it's a start considering his circumstances entering the season.

Not only did the three-time Pro Bowler run well in the Jags' opening game, but he's ready for a larger workload, according Jones-Drew's comments in the AP report:

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I was ready for 80 carries last week. We'll see. We'll see how increased it is. I definitely didn't think it was going to be what it was last week, but that's how it happened and we just got to adjust so we'll see how it goes this week.

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Jacksonville faces an uphill battle against Houston in Week 2, but having Jones-Drew back at full capacity will make a difference. He's durable, exceptionally skilled and will give quarterback Blaine Gabbert more comfort as he faces the daunting Texans defense.

If you're a fantasy owner, get this guy in your lineup this week. It looks like he's going to get his normal amount of carries, and that usually results in solid production.

This doesn't guarantee a Jacksonville victory in Week 2, but it's always nice to see one of the NFL's best players get back into the full-time fold.