Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
The Las Vegas Raiders gave the San Francisco 49ers everything they had but it still wasn’t good enough as the team fell 37-34 in overtime. While head coach Josh McDaniels doesn’t believe in moral victories, it was about as good of a game the Raiders played on offense this season against the best defense in the NFL. Josh Jacobs has arguably been the team’s most valuable player this season but was held to just 69 rushing yards on Sunday.
It was far from his most impressive statistical performance but it’s important to keep in mind that the 49ers have the No. 1 ranked run defense in the NFL. Jacobs’ 69 yards was more than any other running back has put up against the team this season. Every yard he ran for was hard fought and he made a few plays when there wasn’t a whole lot to work with.
Defensive end Nick Bosa is the likely Defensive Player of the Year this season and he was blown away from Jacobs after the game. The fourth-year stud had some strong thoughts about the running back.
“A lot to get better on, but I think we needed this as a defense,” Bosa said, via NBCSportsBayArea. “That’s a really good team. Best running back I’ve played against in my career, no doubt about it. That dude’s a beast. And they have a lot of really talented players. … The NFL will humble you 100% of the time.”
Jacobs on Track to Win Rushing Title
With the Raiders officially eliminated from the playoffs, there’s little left to play for in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, players should still be motivated to have a big game against their hated rival. The Raiders may have a chance to stop the Chiefs from getting the No. 1 seed in AFC this year. The team would love to play spoiler for Kansas City.
Also, Jacobs has a lot to play for in Week 18. As of right now, the 1,608 rushing yards he’s accumulated this year places him as the leading rusher in the NFL. Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb needs 160 rushing yards in the final weeks of the season to catch up to him. Jacobs has likely already won the rushing title but Chubbs is capable of having a big game to finish the season. Jacobs is just 152 yards away from breaking Marcus Allen’s record for most rushing yards in a single season by a Raiders running back. The last time he played the Chiefs, Jacobs rushed for 154 yards. Getting the record has to be on his mind.
Jacobs Praises Jarrett Stidham
Week 18 is also important for the Raiders as it will give them a chance to further evaluate quarterback Jarrett Stidham. He looked great against the 49ers defense and almost led the team to an upset win. However, the team still needs to see more from him to prove that he can be a long-term starter. Jacobs was impressed with what he saw in Stidham’s first start.
“He balled,” Jacobs said after the game. “That’s one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the league, so for him to go out there and do what he did, I feel like that’s speaking to his campaign as ‘The Guy.'”