The Oakland Raiders managed to pull off quite an upset over the Chicago Bears in London on the back of a career day for rookie running back Josh Jacobs.
There had been plenty of talk about the formidable Bears defense coming into their matchup in Week 5 and how defensive end Khalil Mack was going to exact some revenge on his former team. Jacobs stepped up by rushing for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries.
Of course, the game had taken a disastrous turn for the Raiders in the second half that was further facilitated by a botched play on Jacobs’ part. The error resulted in a fumble and nearly cost his team the game had they not been able to secure the victory during the fourth quarter.
According to Scott Bair of NBC Sports, Jacobs admits he felt he needed to make up for that play during their game-winning drive:
“I told everybody I was going to make up for that play,” Jacobs said. “I told them to believe in me, and that I believed in them. We set out to make big plays and we were able to do that and score.”
It is safe to say that Jacobs more than made up for the fumble. He added that he has high expectations for himself moving forward:
“I just try to play and let the results speak for themselves,” Jacobs said. “I want to be a Hall of Fame player. I don’t try to compare myself to anyone. I just want to be the best I can be. I just want to win.”
Jacobs also acknowledged that there was some added motivation to dispel the hype surrounding the Bears’ defense:
“We got tired of hearing how good their defense was,” Jacobs said. “They deserve that praise because they’re really good, but we’re really good, too. We wanted to let the world know who we are.”
Jacobs will forever be linked to the Bears so long as Mack remains as the central part of their defense. After all, he was one of the three picks the Raiders cashed in on after making the deal and the onus is now on him to help justify that decision.
There is no question that the 21-year-old has been as good as advertised through the first five games of his career. Jacobs will now have an extra week of rest before the Raiders go on perhaps their most challenging road trip of the 2019 NFL season.
