Going into the 2022 offseason, there were some concerns about what role Josh Jacobs would play in the offense this year. The team declined his fifth-year option and gave him a ton of work in the preseason despite three straight years of at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage.
But after two games, it’s clear that Jacobs is the No. 1 running back for the Raiders and he is in a workhorse role.
In Week 1, Jacobs played 60 percent of the offensive snaps for the Raiders, but only touched the ball 11 times. Some of that had to do with the game script as the Raiders were down early in that contest.
But in Week 2, Jacobs saw even more snaps and more work. He played 72 percent of the offensive snaps for the Raiders and had 20 touches on offense. While he wasn’t all that efficient (only 81 yards), he dominated the running back touches.
Zamir White was the only other running back to get a carry (one carry for two yards) and Ameer Abdullah was the only other running back to get a target (one reception for 23 yards). While Jacobs didn’t produce big numbers, he did out touch the other running backs on the roster 20-2.
There will certainly be games where White and Abdullah get more touches, but it’s clear that Jacobs is the top running back on this team. Look for the Raiders to continue to ride him this season as he is set to hit free agency after the season.
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