Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is beginning to emerge as a star in this league and his performance on Sunday was a perfect representation of his rise to stardom.
It was on Wednesday that I wrote about the joy of watchingJosh Jacobsrun. Even against the Chicago Bears’ vaunted defense, Jacobs gave theOakland Raidersa chance. On Sunday, Jacobs gave the team far more than that.
No, on Sunday, Josh Jacobs gave the Raiders much-needed direction — an identity with which to pummel opposing defenses into submission. It looks like head coachJon Gruden, who’s preached of throwing “the game back to 1998,” finally has a bruising back that can turn back the clock.
Yesterday, Jacobs rushed 26 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 21-24 upset over the Bears, whose defense had only ceded61.5 rushing yards per game in 2019.
Alongside Josh Jacobs, backup backsJalen RichardandDeAndre Washingtonadded another eight carries, 31 yards, and a touchdown in the Raiders’ blitzkrieg againstKhalil Mackand company.
Over the last two weeks, the Bears’ defense had limitedAdrian Peterson,Chris Thompson,Dalvin Cook(who’s second to onlyChristian McCaffreyin rushing yards through five weeks), andAlexander Mattisonto a combined 106 yards on 35 carries.
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Never mind the Redskins, the Raiders committed to grinding away on the ground, leaning on Jacobs to string together scoring drives of 90 and 97 yards. The latter capped off by Jacobshigh-jumping over the goal-linefor the game-winner.
Jacobs (and the Raiders’ fearsome offensive line) kept the Bears’ defense mostly off-balance, allowing quarterbackDerek Carrto complete passes to nine different receivers without taking a single sack.
The longest of Carr’s completions went for only 23 yards, but that might not matter much with Jacobs as the Raiders’ primary ball-carrier. Jacobs allows the Raiders to truly control possession and to pick their spots in the air with a well-timed screen or play-action pass.
Take, for example,that 23-yard completionon a key 3rd-and-1 during the Raiders’ game-winning drive. Before that pass, Jacobs pushed back against his own goal-line, spun his way for rushes of 15 and 8 yards.
And so, the Raiders, on 3rd-and-1, picked play-action. As Jacobs dashed for the dive, tight endFoster Moreaubroke right before slipping uncovered back to the left side of the field. Carr then hit the wide-open Moreau for the catch-and-run.
That’s what a convincing ground attack allows you to do. It allows you to confuse otherwise-elite linebackers and defensive backs — it allows you to dictate what a defensive unit can do, forcing them to respond to you, not the other way around.
This wasn’t Khalil Mack’s revenge game. After an offseason of embarrassments and media write-offs, it was the Raiders who took revenge.
Knock on wood if you’re with me.
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