Las Vegas Raiders: Josh Jacobs needs to lead the way in Week 11 vs Broncos
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders let Josh Jacobs eat in their first matchup against Denver, and that is something that needs to happen in Mile High on Sunday.
In the first matchup this season between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, running back Josh Jacobs ran wild. In what would be his first of three straight 140-plus yard games, a Raiders record, Jacobs slashed the Broncos’ defense for 144 yards and two scores on the ground.
Running over and around Denver defenders, Jacobs had one of his best games as a pro, but after the three-game stint where he was the best back in the NFL, the team decided to go away from him. After ten carries vs New Orleans, and only 17 against Jacksonville, Jacobs was finally a bigger part of the offense this past weekend against Indianapolis.
His 21 carries for 78 yards and a TD was his best output in weeks, and against Denver on Sunday, he is going to need to be the focal part of the offense once more.
Raiders have to establish Jacobs early and often
Games between the Broncos and Raiders often go down to the wire, and this one is going to come down to who controls the line of scrimmage, as well as the game clock. Running the ball early and often with Jacobs will allow the Raiders to do just that, and as long as McDaniels does not abandon that game plan, Las Vegas should be in this one to the end.
Playing for a new contract, Jacobs has been one of the better backs in the NFL all season long, rushing for 821 yards on 159 carries, and finding the end zone seven times. He also has 200 receiving yards, giving him more than 1,000 all-purpose yards this season.
This could be the final games of Jacobs’s career with the Raiders, as his contract is expiring, and the team did not pick up his fifth-year option this past offseason. For his part, he is doing what he is asked, running with a passion, and delivering when called upon, which is not what you can say for most of the 2022 roster.