Swiftly, this sport feels a lot extra essential. After their season probably being on the brink, the Dolphins have rattled off three straight wins and are proper again within the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. They go as much as Inexperienced Bay to face a Packers group that I got here into the season actually excessive on, they usually’ve given me no purpose to really feel worse about them. The most important purpose is as a result of they’ve discovered one thing of their run sport and RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs came visiting as a free agent from the Las Vegas Raiders, and he’s been every little thing that they’ve been on the lookout for. He’s third within the NFL in dashing yards, third in whole Yards after Contact and has run for seven touchdowns. Nevertheless it’s after we get to video games in November and December the place I actually assume we really feel Jacobs’ affect on the Packers.
Josh Jacobs is a good again to observe as a result of he initiates a lot contact. He doesn’t simply wish to hit— he invitations you to try to hit him. Amongst all RBs with at the very least 100 carries this season, Jacobs is fourth in Yards After Contact per try and third in damaged tackles compelled. His damaged sort out and missed sort out price of 19.8% is eighth in the identical metric. He’s the human snowplow, and his sport towards the San Francisco 49ers was the right instance of that.
Jacobs has such good contact steadiness and runs low to the bottom, forcing his heart of gravity decrease. He’s a load to try to get to the bottom, and in these components of the season the Packers may use his capacity to interrupt tackles. It is a diabolical run idea by Matt LaFleur. Convey TE Tucker Kraft in blast return movement, and mainly run break up zone with the spinner as eye sweet. The opening opens up for Jacobs, and he hits a clear spin transfer to begin the sport.
This run doesn’t go for a lot, however have a look at what Jacobs does to maintain this ball forward of the sticks. His onerous operating is what separates good groups from nice ones, good backs from nice ones and retains that offense afloat.
Once more, what I like about Jacobs a lot is that he simply runs ANGRY. Like there’s no different approach to describe it, man. He simply grinds out so many good yards for this group, and it issues a lot. Not even Captain of the All-Habooga group Malik Mustapha can cease Jacobs. This collision needed to have appeared like when Kratos’ axe and Thor’s Mjolnir collided, it ripped a gap in time.
Why is Jacobs so essential to this offense? As a result of his sort out breaking capacity will get them the simple yards whereas QB Jordan Love and the passing sport go dwelling run looking. Love has an Common Depth of Goal (aDOT) of 9.4 yards this season, second within the NFL. They don’t throw checkdowns, like in any respect. Due to this feast-or-famine model of play within the passing sport, having the run sport simply be capable to hold you on monitor and hit singles and doubles is so essential. Jacobs, without having an elite breakaway gear, is likely one of the finest singles and doubles hitters within the league as a result of his power and tackle-breaking capacity. With the shortage of a lot fast sport within the Packers’ weight loss program, the necessity for the run sport simply to get these straightforward yards is large so Love can attain deep within the bag of trickshots.
I believe Josh Jacobs’ yr, together with fellow RBs Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, are proving the worth of an excellent RB. I believe we overcorrected on the worth of an excellent again, particularly inside the offense. Operating the ball won’t ever exit of fashion, and a robust run sport is a essential level of an uber efficient offense. Whereas Jacobs’ operating model isn’t attractive, it’s efficient, and it’s serving to hold the Packers environment friendly.
