The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off yet another thrilling victory, with the team getting the best of the visiting Miami Dolphins in overtime on Sunday.
With the team now sitting at 3-0 and atop the AFC West, the attention turns to getting the squad fully healthy. Of course, the main concern at this point is the health of star running back Josh Jacobs, who Gruden gave an update on during his Monday presser.
“We have a lot of guys that are sore,” Gruden said on Monday. “Josh Jacobs, I met with Josh this morning and we’re going to see how he feels on the practice field this week. Not making any predictions, but we’re hopeful that we can get him back on the grass at some point this week. Proud of our team, very hard-fought victory and we got a real tough opponent this week on Monday night, the Chargers. So, with that being said, I’ll answer any questions I can.”
The Raiders haven’t had much of a problem getting the offense moving through the air with Derek Carr playing at an MVP level through three weeks, but the run game has left something to be desired for the Silver and Black.
Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber are starting-caliber running backs but have struggled to begin their stint with Las Vegas. However, Barber did show some promise in Week 3 against the Dolphins, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also caught three passes for 31 yards.
Barber was a late addition to this Raiders roster due to concerns about Jacobs’ health. The team thought they’d be able to count on a very expansive backup in Drake, but he has failed to fill the void in Jacobs’ absence thus far.
The team wants Jacobs back on the field and may get a step closer to that this week. In the meantime, Barber might be who Gruden turns to give Las Vegas a threat out of the backfield.
