Las Vegas Raiders: Kenyan Drake signing to prove valuable early on
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without Josh Jacobs on Sunday against Pittsburgh due to injury, as Kenyan Drake becomes the starter at running back.
On Monday night, the Las Vegas Raiders saw what a warrior Josh Jacobs is, as he played through the pain of an injured toe, and helped will the team to victory. Since coming into the league, Jacobs has had his fair share of injuries, but he has also played through the pain, racking up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
While Jacobs was able to finish the game on Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens, he will not be able to start the game in Week 2 against another AFC North opponent, Pittsburgh Steelers. Jacobs was ruled out of the contest on Friday afternoon, ending any speculation that he would attempt to put together another valiant effort inside Heinz Field.
Instead, it will be a free agent signing Kenyan Drake, who gets the start for Las Vegas, and though it seemed like a big price tag this offseason, this signing could prove to be very valuable early on.
Raiders in good hands with Kenyan Drake
The truth is, Drake is much more than just a No. 2 running back, as he shouldered the load in Arizona last season. Racking up more than 1,000 all-purpose yards, Drake is a guy who can get the job done on the ground, and through the air, and will play a huge role in this Raiders offense in Week 2.
Against Baltimore, he made his presence felt as well, catching some clutch passes from quarterback Derek Carr. Though he will be the feature back on Sunday for Las Vegas, he will also figure into the passing game as well.
For Las Vegas, this is just another early-season injury, as they have already lost both Gerald McCoy and Denzelle Good for the year. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been limited in practice after hurting his hamstring during the Ravens win, so we will keep an eye as to whether he is active for the Steelers game entering the weekend.