Redskins' Rob Kelley: Could be No. 1 back Sunday

Head coach Jay Gruden said Thursday that Kelley will be the Redskins' No. 1 back Sunday against the Bengals if Matt Jones (knee) is unavailable, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. "It would be Robert [Kelley] in the lead role, more likely," Gruden said. "Chris [Thompson] has such an important role as far as third downs and his specialty role that we need him in that role and he's not a very big guy."

Analysis:

Kelley's measurables (6-foot, 228 pounds) closely mimic that of Jones (6-foot-2, 232 pounds), making him a better candidate to handle the rigors of a lead back. Per Gruden, Thompson's explosiveness is best utilized in a change-of-pace role, as evidenced by Sunday's 113 yards from scrimmage in Week 7 against Detroit. Meanwhile, after a preseason in which he averaged 5.2 YPC, Kelley has actually one-upped himself with limited snaps over the past five games, ripping off runs at 6.1 YPC.