The Raiders take on the Saints in Week 8 and the game plan appears to be pretty obvious: hand the rock to Josh Jacobs. Over the last three weeks, Jacobs has rushed for a combined 441 yards (with 82 receiving yards) and has scored six touchdowns.
Going into Week 8, they are going to need their stud running back to shoulder the load once again. But not only is Jacobs hoping to lead the Raiders to a win, but he’s also going for a bit of NFL history, as well.
In a recent article by ESPN, they wrote about a record that Jacobs is chasing in Week 8. Here is senior writer Paul Gutierrez giving his prediction on what Jacobs will accomplish against the Saints:
“Raiders RB Josh Jacobs will become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 150 scrimmage yards and a rushing TD in four straight games, joining LaDainian Tomlinson (2006), Larry Johnson (2005), Priest Holmes (2002) and Terrell Davis (1998).
Jacobs has been on a tear of late, averaging 147 rushing yards and two TDs in the Raiders’ past three games. And the Saints’ run defense, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, has given up an average of 121.0 yards on the ground their past three games, including 151 to the Seahawks and 137 to the Cardinals.”
If the Raiders are going to win this game, it’s going to be due to the offensive line and the run game. The Raiders can’t afford to get into obvious passing situations as the pass rush is too good for the Saints.
Expect this to be another game in which Jacobs sees 20 or more carries as the Raiders look to control the line of scrimmage. If Jacobs gets to that 150-yard mark, it’s a pretty safe bet that it means the Raiders won the game.
