Rapidly, this sport feels a lot extra vital. After their season doubtlessly 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, and so they’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 on the lookout for. He’s third within the NFL in speeding yards, third in whole Yards after Contact and has run for seven touchdowns. However it’s once we get to video games in November and December the place I actually suppose we really feel Jacobs’ affect on the Packers.
Josh Jacobs is a superb again to observe as a result of he initiates a lot contact. He doesn’t simply wish to hit— he invitations you to attempt to hit him. Amongst all RBs with at the least 100 carries this season, Jacobs is fourth in Yards After Contact per try and third in damaged tackles pressured. His damaged deal with and missed deal with fee of 19.8% is eighth in the identical metric. He’s the human snowplow, and his sport towards the San Francisco 49ers was the proper 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 attempt to get to the bottom, and in these elements of the season the Packers might use his means to interrupt tackles. It is a diabolical run idea by Matt LaFleur. Carry TE Tucker Kraft in blast return movement, and principally run cut up zone with the spinner as eye sweet. The opening 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 exhausting 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 solution 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 seemed like when Kratos’ axe and Thor’s Mjolnir collided, it ripped a gap in time.
Why is Jacobs so vital to this offense? As a result of his deal with breaking means will get them the straightforward yards whereas QB Jordan Love and the passing sport go house run searching. 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 likely one of the greatest singles and doubles hitters within the league resulting from his energy and tackle-breaking means. With the shortage of a lot fast sport within the Packers’ weight loss plan, the necessity for the run sport simply to get these simple yards is big 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 a superb RB. I believe we overcorrected on the worth of a superb again, particularly inside the offense. Operating the ball won’t ever exit of favor, and a powerful run sport is a crucial level of an uber efficient offense. Whereas Jacobs’ working type isn’t horny, it’s efficient, and it’s serving to maintain the Packers environment friendly.