Although the Oakland Raiders came up short against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, they can take solace in the fact that rookie running back Josh Jacobs continues to be as good as advertised.
Jacobs was able to keep his stellar start to the 2019 NFL season with 134 yards on 31 touches in the 42-24 loss to the Packers. He managed to make history once again in the process with his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
The prospect of a rookie being able to repeat his stellar outing may have seemed far-fetched. However, it appears there was good reason for Oakland to be confident in getting him the ball.
Head coach Jon Gruden says Jacobs put him on notice before the game, and he did not disappoint, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports
“He told me during pregame warmups, ‘I’m on today. I got a great feeling,'” head coach Jon Gruden said. “He was on. He knew he was going to play well. First run of the game was spectacular. It was a great display of power. I think on his next run it was a great display of changing directions, stiff arm, slashing ability. He got hurt, went to the locker room. Had to take a shot in the shoulder. Came back, showed great toughness. He’s the real deal.”
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr also offered up some high praise for his new teammate, touting him as one of the best running backs in the league:
“The guy is a stud, one of the best backs in the NFL,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “It will be a year or two before most people say it, but it’s true right now. Talent-wise, he’s awesome. He can do everything. … As a skill player in this offense, you have to run, catch and block really well. He does all of those things well and he wants to do all of those things well.”
It is safe to say that Jacobs has managed to quickly find his footing to start the 2019 NFL season, which has worked out well for Gruden’s run-heavy approach on offense. He has now firmly established himself as the frontrunner to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Of course, there is still plenty of football left to play for the 24th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. While he has proven more than capable of handling workhorse duties, Oakland will need to be sure to monitor his health now that he has picked up a shoulder injury heading into their Week 8 matchup with the Houston Texans.
