Coming into Sunday, some figured the 3-7 Las Vegas Raiders were in trouble versus the 6-4 Seattle Seahawks.
The Raiders, despite a roster considered very strong by most pundits, had struggled inexplicably this season, perhaps due to bad coaching, while the Seahawks had been a pleasant surprise, as they had continued winning even without the departed Russell Wilson.
But behind a monster game from running back Josh Jacobs, the Raiders achieved a clutch 40-34 win in overtime.
Jacobs ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another 74 yards in the air on six receptions, giving him 303 total yards from scrimmage.
His rushing and total yards totals both set new Raiders franchise records.
legendary @iAM_JoshJacobs performance. pic.twitter.com/XZW5ivJmqj
—NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2022
Jacobs scored the touchdown that won the game in overtime, which came on an incredible 86-yard run.
Most of America couldn’t watch an 86 yard Josh Jacobs house call because CBS wouldn’t switch off 60 minutes
So here it is: pic.twitter.com/5n91WMPMMH
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 28, 2022
A Legendary Day For Jacobs
Back in their glory days, the Raiders had some talented running backs, in particular Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson, both of whom wore the silver and black in the 1980s, but neither managed to do what Jacobs did versus Seattle.
Jacobs has been a fairly productive running back throughout his young NFL career, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and being named to the Pro Bowl in 2020.
But this season, he may be coming of age.
Through 11 games, he has collected 1,159 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
He is leading the NFL in rushing yards this season, quite an accomplishment considering most predicted Derrick Henry or Nick Chubb would end up finishing first in that category.
However, considering all the inexcusable losses Las Vegas has had this season, what Jacobs is doing this year rings awfully hollow.
The team’s fans demand excellence, and barring a dramatic turnaround in December and January, their anger at head coach Josh McDaniels may drown out the love and accolades given to Jacobs.
