The Oakland Raiders have had some rough luck with injuries this season as seemingly every week, one or more key players have been sidelined with a number of various issues.
Now, in possibly the worst injury news of the season, Josh Jacobs is apparently dealing with a shoulder injury. Jacobs was injured during last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, playing in just north of 50% of all offensive snaps due to the missed time.
According to Scott Blair of NBC Sports Bay Area, head coach Jon Gruden feels this injury is serious enough that Jacobs’ status for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans is in question:
Jon Gruden on Josh Jacobs missing practice: "He’s got a legitimate shoulder (injury). He got hurt in the Green Bay game, had it shot up. He’s still very sore and we’ll list him as questionable for the game.”
— Scott Bair (@BairNBCS) October 23, 2019
Jacobs, along with several other players, did not participate in practice on Wednesday. If Jacobs was to remain out Sunday’s matchup against the Texans, much of the load will fall on quarterback Derek Carr to carry the load on offense.
The Texans have the worst pass defense in the NFL, already allowing 1,929 yards through the air. Of course, without Jacobs, the Raiders passing game becomes a little more predictable.
Additionally, the return of Tyrell Williams could be paramount to a victory this week. The Raiders’ top wide receiver has been out since Week 4 with plantar fasciitis. Gruden stated earlier this week that he was hopeful about his and right tackle Trent Brown’s will return to action this week. Williams and Brown both participated in limited practice on Wednesday.
Despite being injured during the game against the Packers, Jacobs still had one of the best performances of his young career. He rushed for 124 yards, his second consecutive performance rushing for over 120. He did not find the end zone, but the Raiders as a team had very limited success scoring.
If Jacobs is unable to go, then Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington would handle the load in the backfield.
