It’s been tough sledding so far this season for Josh Jacobs. The NFL’s leading rusher from the 2022 season had just 108 rushing yards on 42 carries in the first three games of the year. The offensive line wasn’t opening up any rushing lanes and he was among the least efficient backs in the league.
The good news is that Jacobs got back on track in Week 4, totaling 139 yards and scoring one touchdown. He still wasn’t all that efficient on the ground, but the overall production was way up on Sunday.
In a recent article by ESPN, Jacobs was named the biggest winner from Week 4 as he finally looked to be himself. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the All-Pro running back in Week 4:
The Raiders found ways to get Jacobs more involved Sunday. The All-Pro running back has had a hard time running the ball thus far — he entered Sunday averaging 2.4 yards per carry — but was more involved in the passing game vs. the Chargers, catching eight passes for a career-high 81 yards. He also added 58 yards on the ground, including his first TD of the season.
The schedule gets quite a bit easier for the Raiders over the next month and it’s not inconceivable that they could get back to .500 soon. But in order for that to happen, they’ve got to have more success on the ground. The performance by Jacobs on Sunday was the first step forward in creating a more balanced attack on offense.