Oakland Raiders: Top 5 takeaways from Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
2. Josh Jacobs looked really good
One of the few bright spots for the Raiders on Sunday was the encore performance from rookie running back Josh Jacobs.
While the running game on the Kansas City side was mostly stuffed, Jacobs put together 99 yards on 12 carries, including a 51-yard outburst that set the Raiders up within striking distance of threatening the red zone.
Though the offense, in general, seemed to fall away for the Raiders, Jacobs was a consistent piece that found holes to exploit. He remained physical throughout the game — and his physicality rewarded him with extra yardage.
Jacobs has accumulated 212 all-purpose yards in his first two career games with the Raiders.
The highlight of Jacobs’ day came on a 1st-and-10 with 12 minutes left in the third. Jacobs saw an opening and burst down the field, evading several tackles before charging down the field for 51 yards, getting the Raiders all the way down to the 30.
To cap off the run, Jacobs lowered a shoulder into the defensive back, demonstrating his willingness to play physical even when down big.
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It’s this kind of leadership through action that will be key for young players to look to when it comes to the Raiders’ core development.
After back to back weeks where the Raiders have heavily incorporated Josh Jacobs into their scheme, you can expect that this will be a continued theme. Not much was happening for the raiders in the second half, but Jacobs was still pushing up the field.
And while that explosive run didn’t end up translating into points for the Raiders, it did give promise that the Raider running game could be a respectable staple moving forward.
Many fans within Raider Nation were quick to anoint Jacobs as the reincarnation of the beloved Marshawn Lynch, which seemed like a stretch at first. But his physicality and deceptive acceleration feel like throwbacks to the Beastmode running game.
Whether the rest of the offense ends up coming together or not, Josh Jacobs should be receiving plenty of opportunities to push the ball up the field. It’ll only be a matter of time, each game, before he breaks away like he did today.
And if the passing game can get a little more consistent, it should open up Jacobs’ lanes even more.