The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to send a message in their season-opening contest against the Denver Broncos. The offense looks to be explosive with all of their weapons ready to go, including All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs.
It is well known that Jacobs and the Raiders were unable to agree on a new contract in the offseason, and the back skipped training camp. While he has been back with the team for over a week now, and he seems to be in good shape, he also hasn’t had any full-contact practices.
As such, he hasn’t taken any real hits just yet, but in the eyes of Jacobs, that’s a good thing as it means he is fresher than the majority of people in the Raiders locker room, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN:
“I mean, for me, less hits is better,” Jacobs said Thursday. “I get hit enough, you know what I’m saying? But I mean, man, I came back at the same weight I played at last year and I look bigger. I added muscle, so I think I’m in a good position […] Yeah, I mean, if anything, I feel fresher than most people in this locker room,”
And the Broncos are the perfect team for Jacobs to get started with. The Raiders are 7-0 against Denver when Jacobs plays with the back totaling 721 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in those games, along with another 158 receiving yards.
But Jacobs isn’t focused on that as he understands this is now a new regime in Denver:
“I’ve seen a little bit of it,” Jacobs said of his statistical success against Denver. “But at the end of the day, they got a new head coach [in Sean Payton]. They got a new philosophy up there. They got a new DC [defensive coordinator Vance Joseph]. You don’t know what they’re coming with. So, for me, man, I’m just going to go out there and just try to play my game.”
Regardless of who is the coach of the Broncos, the Raiders need to make sure that Jacobs is a big part of their game plan in Denver. With him and Davante Adams, the Raiders have two of the best offensive weapons in the league and are capable of putting up points against anyone.
And since he’s well-rested, Jacobs is planning on keeping that streak alive and continuing to dominate the Broncos as he has his entire career.
