Josh Jacobs and the Las Vegas Raiders had a shaky start to the season because his fifth-year option was declined. Usually, this indicates that the player in question is not going to be part of the team’s future. Jacobs, though, used that as fuel and led the league in both scrimmage and rushing yards. Let’s see how the 2022 NFL season played out in terms of Jacobs’ career year.
Three games at a time for the Las Vegas Raiders
Head coach Josh McDaniels recently admitted that he should have established Jacobs earlier in the season. He was correct. The fact that Jacobs had fewer than 70 rushing yards in each of the Raiders’ first three losses was no accident. Jacobs is a runner who will improve as he receives more carries. He wasn’t getting the ball enough during their three-game losing streak to open the season, which allowed teams to concentrate on Davante Adams. This made the Raiders’ offense a lot more predictable.
When Jacobs became the focal point for the offense, it wasn’t surprising that the Raiders began to look better. Jacobs dominated against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders’ first win of the year. He scored two touchdowns and had more than 170 scrimmage yards. Jacobs led the Raiders offense on his own by wearing out the tenacious Broncos defense. Jacobs then had over 190 scrimmage yards and one touchdown in their nearly successful upset against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even with his courageous effort, the Raiders lost. The following week, he had three touchdowns and over 150 yards of scrimmage against the Houston Texans. The Raiders had a 2-1 record across these three games. With an average of 147 rushing yards, 6.5 yards per carry, 27 receiving yards, and two touchdowns per game, Jacobs was carrying the load for the team.
An up and down effort by Josh McDaniels’ offense
Teams began to adjust, and McDaniels once more was unable to activate Jacobs, and the Raiders lost their following three games. During this three-game losing streak, Jacobs failed to surpass 100 yards in any of the games. But following their three-game losing streak, the Raiders and the Jacobs went on a three-game winning spree.
Jacobs got things going against the Broncos by surpassing 160 yards from scrimmage. He made history and had perhaps the best performance of anyone in the 2022 NFL season during the Raiders’ overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12 of the season. No. 28 ran for a career-high 229 yards and added 74 yards through the air and two touchdowns.
Jacobs’ 303 total yards are the eighth-most in a single game in NFL history, according to StatMuse. Not to mention his overtime walk-off score, one of the best games in NFL history. Jacobs backed that up the next week by surpassing 150 scrimmage yards and scoring once in the Raiders’ victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Thanks to Jacobs’ performances, the Raiders went 3-0 in these three games. Jacobs averaged 204 scrimmage yards and one touchdown throughout these three games. Do you now recognize the pattern? When Jacobs surpassed 100 rushing yards, the Raiders were 5-1; when he didn’t, they were 1-10.
Despite rough final stretch, Josh Jacobs cemented his season in the history books.
Jacobs was unable to surpass 100 rushing yards in any of the final five games of the season because of lingering injuries and personal issues. Fair enough, the Raiders did compete against the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers during this time. They are all excellent defenses that were committed to containing the NFL’s leading rusher. In terms of rushing yards, scrimmage yards, and rushing yards per game, Jacobs finished the season first in the league. He tied his career high in rushing touchdowns and set new ones in rushing yards, receiving yards, scrimmage yards, and yards per carry. According to Pro Football Reference, Jacobs’ 1653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns were the second-best in a single season in Raiders’ history.
It is fair to say that Jacobs merited both a pay increase and a long-term contract. People claim that running backs are the easiest position to replace and that they don’t matter. Although there is some truth to that, you don’t let them go when you have a special back like Jacobs. It is now appropriate to get out the brink truck and pay Jacobs, as he has stated his intention to remain with the Raiders.
*Top Photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
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