Oakland Raiders: Top 3 takeaways from Week 7 loss to the Green Bay Packers
2. Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller are (still) beasts
Whether the Raiders win or lose, play home or away, or juggle any other variable, there have been two constants.
The first of those two constants is rookie sensation Josh Jacobs.
It could have been expected that Jon Gruden would be giving his young running back more and more opportunities as he racked up more games under his belt, but Jacobs has forced his way into getting the ball more and more.
And it’s absolutely deserved.
This week was no different. He rushed for 124 yards on 21 carries, including a 42-yard run that would set the Raiders up for a score on their opening possession.
He’s gotten better and better each week, displaying hard-to-miss qualities in a running back that makes for a budding, exciting player. He’s proven to be physical, explosive, and shifty, and has cemented himself as a serious offensive threat.
Jacobs leads all rookies this year in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.
After his impressive showing on Sunday, Jacobs became the first and only rookie in Raiders franchise history to put together consecutive games of 100 or more rushing yards.
He surpassed the great Bo Jackson for most rushing yards through the first six games of his Raiders career.
Each and every week seems like a new opportunity for Jacobs to remind the league that a serious force is here. It should only become more apparent.
Jacobs could still be further incorporated in the passing game, where he has some very apparent skills. He had three catches on the day for 10 yards. Expected to see more in the future as Gruden continues to ride the hot hand.
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There was a moment of concern when Jacobs was taken back to the locker room midway through the first quarter with an undisclosed injury that would later be revealed as right shoulder soreness.
But any real concerns were dispelled when Jacobs returned to the field and snapped off more than seventy additional yards.
His physical style of play, at times — especially to milk a couple of extra yards — might have Raiders fans holding their breath, but that kind of grit is exactly what you want out of a rookie like Jacobs.
The second constant is Darren Waller, who has quickly become Derek Carr’s go-to option in the passing game.
In another impressive addition to his season, Waller had eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
With so much instability among Carr’s weapons to target so far this season, Waller has been a stable force. This season, he ranks second amongst tight ends across the league in receptions.
His 485 yards so far this season rank thirteenth among all receivers.
Waller has been one of the best feel-good stories of the young season for the Oakland Raiders. Last week, he received a three-year, $27 million extension — a massive upgrade from his previous salary of $720,000 this year.
The formerly embattled tight end has come into his own this season. And the Raiders wanted no part of letting him test the waters of free agency this coming offseason.
On the heels of that multi-year extension, Waller caught two touchdowns for the first time in his career, along with surpassing Tim Brown’s record for most receptions by a Raiders player through the first six games of the season.
The connection between Derek Carr and Darren Waller seems to get better and better each week. It’ll be interesting to see how well this offense works when more offensive weapons come back onto the field from injury.