The Las Vegas Raiders could be without Josh Jacobs, and if he does sit out, these three players have to step up to secure the victory.
The injury bug was seen as a bigger issue for the Baltimore Ravens for tonight’s clash, but now with starting guard Richie Incognito out due to injury and starting running back Josh Jacobs (possibly) out due to illness, it seems the odds have been evened.
The Raiders have not gotten a lot of credit in any departments the last few years, but this should not be the narrative for the offense. The Raiders have not only invested heavily into it, but unlike the defense, the investments have mainly paid off, as they finished with a top-10 offense last season.
Jacobs is either going to be out, or possibly limited tonight against Baltimore, and here are three players who need to step up if he is either.
3 Las Vegas Raiders who must step up if Josh Jacobs is out tonight
Kenyan Drake, Running Back
The first man on the list is of course the backup to Jacobs, and luckily for the Raiders, (in case) Jacobs can’t suit up for the clash tonight, their free-agent acquisition in Drake is more than capable of carrying the load. The former Alabama product is a talented running back who has speed, size, and the ability to be a better pass-catching option than even Jacobs himself.
Drake is one of the best backup running backs in the league, and his two-year/$14 million contract was an indicator of this. The Raiders also have quite the advantage here given Drake’s superiority compared to his counterpart in Ravens running back Ty’son Williams, a running back in his second year who has no professional game experience at all.
Expect Drake to be almost as effective as healthy Jacobs if he starts, and also if Jacobs is ready to go, Drake will still see a healthy bulk of snaps today.