The Oakland Raiders had three first round picks last April, and one of them was running back Josh Jacobs. He tore it up in his debut against the Denver Broncos, but has gone silent since. In week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, expect the Alabama product to have a big day.
The Raiders have been playing from behind for the last two weeks, meaning that Jacobs didn't get the touches he deserved. Oakland will open this game trying to get the run game more involved.
When coach Jon Gruden does decide to lean on the run game, Jacobs is pretty clearly the one getting the football. The next best option is Jalen Richard, who has been a receiving back first his entire career.
Jacobs also has the burst and athleticism to stay on the field during passing downs. With his skill set, there's no doubt that Jacobs should play upwards of 85% of the offensive snaps.
Although Jacobs' skill set is definitely a reason to be on the field, there's an even more important reason. In the last two weeks, the Raiders have suffered two blowout losses.
A huge reason for this is time of possession. In both their losses, Oakland trailed in time of possession. In order to keep the ball game a close, the Raiders need to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. This method of success is tried and proven, as it's how the New England Patriots took control of ball games in late 2018.
The Raiders won't have the same level of success as the Pats, but keeping a very effective Indianapolis offense on the field would be a huge help. Jacobs is a huge part of any effort to run the clock due to his running style. He's a powerful runner that rarely goes down on first contact, and can consistently churn out four to five yards a touch. If Oakland uses this method, they can avoid letting the Colts attack their suspect defense.
All of this goes without mentioning the big play ability of Josh Jacobs. With his ability to break tackles and accelerate, he's a bad matchup for any defense. Unfortunately for the Colts, they could be missing one of their best defenders. Linebacker Darius Leonard is questionable heading into the contest, but doesn't seem likely to play. If Leonard can't play, the quality of Indy's defense decreases significantly. The Raiders and Jon Gruden won't hesitate to try and exploit that weakness.
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