JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Maurice Jones-Drew is on a play count, and he's not happy about it.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is keeping tight tabs on his star running back early in the season, limiting his workload in an effort to keep him healthy.
"I just want to be out there, that's all," Jones-Drew said Monday, one day after the Jaguars' 16-14 victory over the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans. "I just want to go out there and compete with our guys. I've seen how hard they worked. I wanted to get back into the game and hit some people and deliver some more punishment."
Jones-Drew ran 24 times for 97 yards and one touchdown against the Titans, but he was on the sideline for much of the fourth quarter as teammate Deji Karim received most of the carries. Karim finished with 33 yards on 14 rushes, a 2.4 yards-per-carry average that had Jones-Drew itching to go back on the field.
Jones-Drew voiced his displeasure with Del Rio during and after the game, then made it clear to reporters that he wanted to be on the field in crunch time.
"I love his competitive nature and love the fact that he's a work horse and love the fact that he had a real solid start to our season," Del Rio said Monday.
Jones-Drew played 14 games with torn meniscus in his right knee last season. He missed the final two games after the pain became too much to play through, and he had surgery in January.
The Jaguars were cautious with Jones-Drew's repetitions during training camp and the preseason, holding him out until the preseason finale. But Del Rio never said Jones-Drew would be kept off the field in the regular season. He never discussed it with Jones-Drew, either.
So Sunday's decision caught Jones-Drew by surprise.
"Everything is going to work out at the end of the day," said Jones-Drew, who also ended a streak of 66 consecutive games with a reception. "I was upset. I expressed myself. That's what I do. I'm not one to hide them. If you have a problem, you have to tell them. We're working on fixing it. That's all that matters."
Jones-Drew said he and Del Rio "worked things out," but neither offered details.
"A little give and take," Jones-Drew said.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
