While they didn’t come out and say it, don’t look for Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette to play Sunday in the huge AFC Championship Game rematch with the Patriots.

Jags coach Doug Marrone has been pointing all week to the Friday practice, as the key as to whether Fournette could demonstrate that he could do something with his strained hamstring for this week’s game.

Well, practice has come and gone, and Fournette was not able to participate in the workout. So that info alone, says that the strained hamstring is bothersome enough to keep Fournette out of the lineup this week.

The Jags are officially listing the second-year running back out of LSU as “questionable,” but that may very well it just be gamesmanship ala, Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Fournette suffered the injury catching a pass in the second quarter of Sunday’s 20 – 15 win in New York against the Giants. He did not return.

And in his absence, backup running back T.J. Yeldon once again fared well. Yeldon continued his recent trend of filling the void both running and receiving. Sunday he finished with 51 yards on 14 carries. He also caught a one yard TD pass in the first half from Bortles.

Yeldon and third string back Corey Grant will now, apparently be more counted on for the match-up Sunday.

UPDATE: The Jaguars basically gave away that Fournette is not going to play against New England as they made this move Saturday:

We have promoted first-year RB @BWilds_ from the practice squad to the team’s 53-man active roster. pic.twitter.com/LjNDhotZUD — #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) September 15, 2018

Brandon Wilds ran successfully in preseason and would be an emergency option to see playing time.

A larger point in all of this is: Fournette’s injury may be minor for now and this may be the only game that he has to miss. And while it is an important early season game, if he were to go out and aggravate the hamstring worse, Fournette might be out four games, six games or more, because of it.

That’s a risk that Marrone, and the Jaguars front office have to consider strongly in trying to have him play this week.