A year ago, Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. The Raiders were able to pound teams into submission with their run game and it’s why Jacobs ended up being a first-team All-Pro selection.
During that season, Jacobs led the NFL in explosive runs (rushes of 10+ yards) with 41. Needless to say, he doesn’t have as many this season. The exact number is nine and no team in the NFL has fewer explosive runs than the Raiders this season.
Most big plays through Week 14: pic.twitter.com/9AWGQXGu6Y
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 12, 2023
The Raiders are averaging just 15.5 PPG this season, the fifth-worst in the NFL. It’s actually quite a surprise that there are four offenses in the league worse than the Raiders. But none of them have created as this few big plays (40).
Over the offseason, the Raiders have to find a way to make their offense more dynamic. If they would have had just an average offense this year, the Raiders probably would have 8-9 wins already. Instead, they are likely to have a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Raiders have to figure out a way to be a more efficient rushing team next year. And that might mean moving on from Jacobs for a younger, fresher back.