#La’Mical Perine drop sends Jets’ running back plan off script

The Jets releasing Le’Veon Bell was expected to open the door to a bigger role for La’Mical Perine.

The rookie running back didn’t quite smash through it on the first try.

Frank Gore still got more carries, and the recently signed Ty Johnson got more yards (on three carries) as Perine’s explosiveness remained bottled up Sunday during the Jets’ 24-0 loss to the Dolphins.

In another miserable game for the offense, Perine was limited to seven rushes for 27 yards and two catches for 9 yards. He also dropped a pass late in the second quarter when he appeared to have plenty of room to run if he had corralled it, a play that coach Adam Gase indicated factored into his playing time.

“[Getting Perine more carries] was the plan going in, and I was just kind of watching those guys, the body language,” Gase said. “I know after Perine dropped that one ball, I was just trying to make sure he was good confidence-wise. I didn’t want him to go in the wrong direction. Just trying to get him back in there and then trying to get Ty involved.

“I know there were a couple of opportunities that Perine will probably go back and look at and wish he could have that play back. We just gotta keep getting him more and more carries. Hopefully in the next game, we can get the carries the way we want them.”

The Jets started seven of their 14 drives with a handoff to Gore. The 37-year-old finished with 11 carries for 46 yards and four catches for 24 yards, while Johnson had three carries for 42 yards.

Johnson, whom the Jets claimed off waivers from the Lions on Oct. 2, took a carry for 34 yards in the third quarter — the Jets’ longest rush of the year.

While Bell is now in Kansas City, waiting to play his first game with the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, the Jets picked up another loss in their first game without him. But Gore said his departure didn’t have any lingering effects Sunday.

“I think everybody on the team, offense and defense, they believe in me, they believe in Perine,” Gore said. “I don’t think there was a linger. They know I’ve been having success in this league for a long time. They see me in practice, they saw me in training camp, they saw that I can play. They see Perine taking steps as a rookie. So I don’t think there was a linger.”