The annual Corridor of Fame sport is usually a showcase for NFL groups’ rookies, fourth-stringers and gamers who face an uphill battle to make the roster. Which is why many followers had been shocked when the Raiders wheeled out former Professional Bowl working again Josh Jacobs in opposition to the Jaguars – for 2 collection.
The 24-year-old working again was on the sphere to begin the sport for Las Vegas, and took a handoff on the second play of the sport that went for 12 yards and a primary down. A shock, however perhaps new head coach Josh McDaniels wished to maintain his star gamers energetic because the season approaches.
However then, Jacobs stayed on the sphere for one more collection. He ended up touching the ball seven instances – 5 carries for 30 yards and two catches for 14 further yards. By the point he was taken off the sphere, many had been questioning why a participant whom many thought can be closely featured within the common season was getting a lot work.
McDaniels, employed within the offseason from the Patriots, defined Jacobs’ utilization after the sport ended, and appeared to play it off.
“I all the time assume it’s good for (working) backs to hold the ball within the preseason,” McDaniels advised The Athletic.
However might Jacobs have one thing to show to a brand new teaching workers and McDaniels having little attachment to the gamers on the roster he inherited? Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller – the group’s different star ability place gamers – didn’t sniff the sphere. The Raiders additionally declined Jacobs’ fifth-year choice within the offseason, making this a contract yr for the Alabama product.
The Raiders drafted working again Zymir White out of the College of Georgia within the fourth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft, who took a bulk of the remaining carries within the sport, whereas additionally catching three passes. It makes far more sense to have him play within the Corridor of Fame sport, since he’s a rookie, however many speculated that it might be telling of a cut up in carries as soon as the common season comes round.
“Josh Jacobs beginning within the Corridor of Fame sport speaks volumes,” The Athletic’s Raiders beat author Vic Tafur tweeted.
It’s the primary preseason sport of the yr, and it’s all the time harmful to overreact to those meaningless exhibitions, however this felt like the largest takeaway from Thursday’s sport.
The Raiders ended up successful the sport handily, 27-11, over the Jaguars.
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