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To the surprise of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ fan base, Josh Jacobs did not end up winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Despite having a much better year statistically and playing for a better team, Kyler Murray somehow beat him out. The decision was surprising and not surprising at the same time. As cliched as it is to say, the NFL always finds a way to overlook the Raiders and Jacobs getting snubbed is just the latest example.
An argument could be made that Murray wasn’t even one of the top three or four offensive rookies in 2019. The quarterback bias in the NFL has never been more obvious. Fortunately for Jacobs, he cares little about awards and his main concern is fielding a winner.
“Honestly, I’ve been going back and forth if I even want to go to this event,” Jacobs said to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “Because it is, obviously, a blessing to be in this situation and to have the opportunity to win an award and things like that but it’s not really why I play the game – I play to win. I play to, hopefully, be in this position next year – to play in the [Super Bowl]. That’s the biggest thing on my mind.”
There’s no doubt Jon Gruden is going have some words for the NFL about the oversite, but Jacobs is barely scratching the surface of his potential.
Raiders Players Not Happy About Josh Jacobs Snub
Jacobs doesn’t seem very affected by the obvious Rooke of the Year snub, but his teammates clearly weren’t happy about the decision. He was often the most productive player on the offense in 2019 and the fact that he played much of the year with a broken shoulder just adds to the respect that his teammates have for him.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs was the highest-rated player among offensive rookies and led the entire NFL running backs in Elusive Rating.
Jacobs wasn’t just the best offensive rookie in 2019, he was one of the top running backs in the league. Had he not gotten hurt and played 16 games, he would’ve likely finished the season as one of the top five rushers in the NFL. Regardless of awards, the Raiders found themselves one of the most exciting players in the league and he should be around for quite a while.
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Maxx Crosby Could’ve Won, Also
Jacobs had an amazing year, but defensive end Maxx Crosby cannot be forgotten. The fourth-round pick was second among all rookies with 10 sacks and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting to Nick Bosa. However, it could be argued that he deserved the award over Bosa as he put up better stats on a weaker defense. Johnathan Abram pointed out that fact.
Bosa is without a doubt a stud, but based on the stats, it’s hard to argue he had a better season than Crosby. The fact that Bosa was the second pick in the draft and Crosby fell to the fourth-round probably hurt him. That said, “Madd Maxx” is taking the news in stride and using it as motivation. If he keeps getting better, the Raiders could have one of the best pass rushers in the NFL on their hands.
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