Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns: 4 keys in the 16-6 victory

Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns: 4 keys in the 16-6 victory

Josh Jacobs put the team on his back

Last week we asked the question if the Las Vegas Raiders could run the ball against the Browns as one of the keys of the game and it turns out they absolutely can. With the announcement before the game that RT Trent Brown was ruled out, many assumed it would be tough sledding against the stout Browns front that was top 5 in the NFL in rush defense before the game.

The difference was felt in the passing game as backup RT Sam Young gave up two sacks, but the Raiders offensive line did not skip a beat and Josh Jacobs was magnificent. Jacobs was struggling all season behind a makeshift offensive line and had just one game with a yards per carry average over 4 but on Sunday he put the team on his shoulders and willed them to victory.

Jacobs had a career high 31 attempts for 128 hard yards, 4.13 per carry in case you were wondering, and kept several drives alive with yards after contact. It was a remarkable game to witness for the young back and proved that despite his early struggles he can still be a massive difference maker for this team.

Hopefully he won’t have to carry the ball 31 times every week but in a game that called for some smash-mouth football he was more than up to the task. He also continued his role as the Raiders’ closer as he gained two first downs in the last two minutes to kill off what little hope the Browns still had. Jacobs doesn’t have a nickname yet but if he keeps this up maybe “The Closer” is a good place to start.