Josh Jacobs comes alive behind better blocking in Week 4

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 | 2 a.m.

The Raiders’ first win of the season came on the back of Josh Jacobs, who accounted for 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 32-23 win over Denver on Sunday.

Jacobs’ performance has been scrutinized the past couple years as he has struggled to live up to his draft status, but he looked like the total package in Week 4.

How was Jacobs able to produce at such a high level against the Broncos?

It started up front. The Raiders offensive line has come under fire this year, and with good reason, as they’ve struggled to operate as a unit and execute even the simplest blocking assignments (most noticeably in pass protection). But give credit where credit is due: The line blocked Denver into oblivion for 60 minutes.

It started on the first play from scrimmage, as Denver played a light defensive front and Jacobs plowed ahead for an easy 6-yard gain:

The battle was won before Jacobs even took the handoff, and by the time he actually approached the line of scrimmage, here’s what he was looking at:

There’s not a soul in sight, as the offensive line has pushed every defender three or four yards up the field, giving Jacobs nothing but open space in every direction.

It was a similar situation on this play later in the first quarter, as Denver once again went light, with four defensive linemen up front and seven defenders dropping into coverage. The safety walks up at the snap and tries to fill a running lane, but there’s a problem – the blockers have cleared out two equally wide running lanes from which Jacobs can choose. The safety fills one alley, so Jacobs simply veers into the other lane, resulting in a 9-yard gain:

The offensive line gets some credit on the first touchdown run, but it was mostly a product of Jacobs’s individual effort.

Denver sets with four down linemen, and at the snap two linebackers shoot the interior gaps. The Raiders have a good play called – a draw – and the blocking is executed soundly. Tight end Darren Waller lets outside linebacker Bradley Chubb rush upfield, then gets in the way as Jacobs cuts in behind him. That’s enough to pick up the first down:

The rest was all Jacobs. The Broncos had three defenders at the second level ready to meet the ball carrier, and Jacobs only had one blocker ahead. The fourth-year pro made both unblocked tacklers miss, then steamed through the engaged defender to break the plane

That is the kind of value-add running ability you expect from a first-round pick.

Jacobs’s pure talent was also evident on his highlight run of the day, a 42-yard gain in the third quarter that saw him make a whole lot out of nothing.

The blocking up front is not so good, and Denver has defenders in every gap by the time Jacobs gets to the line of scrimmage. But his quickness and vision take over as he makes two men miss in the hole, then spins away from a third while launching himself upfield:

It’s a beautiful piece of running and the most explosive play of the day, and it’s pretty much all attributable to Jacobs.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Las Vegas had decided that running the ball offered the best chance to secure the win. On the final drive the Raiders made no attempt to disguise their intentions, as they lined up in old-school running formations to close it out.

On this play, Las Vegas comes out in the I-formation. Center Andre James and left guard Dylan Parham get a good double team and bury the nose tackle, opening a lane for Jacobs. Denver linebacker Josey Jewell tries to fill the gap, but 255-pound fullback Jakob Johnson meets him head-on and wipes him out (note: Jewell is not a physical player, which the Raiders coaching staff likely picked up on during their advance scouting).

That’s enough to once again get Jacobs through the line of scrimmage untouched:

That’s just the start of the play, however. After finishing his double-team block, James came off and found for more work, sealing off linebacker Jonas Griffith to give Jacobs more room to roam.

Jacobs finished the run strong. Though he was contacted by two defenders a full yard short of the line to gain, he stayed on his feet and twisted forward for an additional two yards, giving Las Vegas a new set of downs.

There have been times when Jacobs has looked sluggish and uncreative, and there have definitely been times when the offensive line has not done its job in opening adequate holes for him. On Sunday, both Jacobs and his blockers were on top of their game, working in concert to deliver the Raiders a potential season-saving victory.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.