Raiders vs Cardinals 2022 Week 2: Studs and Duds

Raiders vs Cardinals 2022 Week 2: Studs and Duds

Stud – Josh Jacobs

For all of the talk that the Raiders were shopping Josh Jacobs after the Hall of Fame Game, the young running back has now become a workhorse back instead. After a tough game against LA where he was churning out yards but didn’t get the touches, he had his number called for 19 carries and a reception for 80 total yards.

Jacobs looked to be on his way to a great game similar to Derek Carr but inexcusably the coaching staff went away from the run and didn’t ride the guy that has closed out several games in his short career. After 13 carries in the first half, Jacobs only rushed 6 times in the second half and rookie Zamir White only had one carry as well.

The offense in general was broken in the second half but this was especially the case in overtime as the Raiders could have ridden Jacobs to a victory as they have several times in the past. The former Alabama back gets stronger as the games go along and he has shown incredible strength and awareness in late-game situations.

Instead of relying on Jacobs to churn out another 10 yards against a poor run defense, the Raiders tried to throw the ball around and were punished for it with a silly turnover. Jacobs is still the heartbeat of this offense and the staff needs to treat him as such, especially in a contract year.