Hastily, 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 workforce that I got here into the season actually excessive on, they usually’ve given me no cause to really feel worse about them. The most important cause is as a result of they’ve discovered one thing of their run sport and RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs came to visit as a free agent from the Las Vegas Raiders, and he’s been every part that they’ve been in search of. He’s third within the NFL in speeding yards, third in complete Yards after Contact and has run for seven touchdowns. But it surely’s after we get to video games in November and December the place I actually assume we really feel Jacobs’ influence 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 stability and runs low to the bottom, forcing his middle of gravity decrease. He’s a load to try to get to the bottom, and in these components of the season the Packers might use his skill to interrupt tackles. This can be a diabolical run idea by Matt LaFleur. Deliver TE Tucker Kraft in blast return movement, and principally run cut up zone with the spinner as eye sweet. The outlet opens up for Jacobs, and he hits a clear spin transfer to start out the sport.
This run doesn’t go for a lot, however take a look at what Jacobs does to maintain this ball forward of the sticks. His onerous working is what separates good groups from nice ones, good backs from nice ones and retains that offense afloat.
Once more, what I really like about Jacobs a lot is that he simply runs ANGRY. Like there’s no different strategy to describe it, man. He simply grinds out so many good yards for this workforce, and it issues a lot. Not even Captain of the All-Habooga workforce Malik Mustapha can cease Jacobs. This collision needed to have gave the impression of 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 skill will get them the straightforward yards whereas QB Jordan Love and the passing sport go residence 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 type of play within the passing sport, having the run sport simply have the ability to maintain you on monitor and hit singles and doubles is so essential. Jacobs, without having an elite breakaway gear, is among the finest singles and doubles hitters within the league resulting from his energy and tackle-breaking skill. With the dearth 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’ 12 months, together with fellow RBs Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, are proving the worth of a great RB. I believe we overcorrected on the worth of a great again, particularly inside the offense. Operating the ball won’t ever exit of favor, and a robust run sport is a vital level of an uber efficient offense. Whereas Jacobs’ working type isn’t attractive, it’s efficient, and it’s serving to maintain the Packers environment friendly.
