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Derrick Henry is in the midst of a career year in 2019. Anyone who’s a Titans fan loves him, and since his days in Alabama he’s dazzled audiences with his ability to break tackles and stretch for long touchdown runs.
On Sunday the Titans travel to Oakland, where another fellow Alabama alumni—rookie running back Josh Jacobs—is waiting. Or so we think, as he’s currently dealing with a fractured shoulder that could very sideline him in a must win game for both teams. For the moment the Raiders have listed him as questionable, making it more likely than not he suits up for Week 14.
Either way I figured an article on Jacobs was appropriate because if he does indeed play Titans fans get to see why he’s so dangerous. And if he’s inactive we all get to see what force the team avoids as well.
Anyway, Jacobs is in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year, having already put up five 100-yard games in his first season in the NFL. He’s the first rookie in franchise history to rush for over 1,000 yards, and is currently sitting at 1,061 on 218 carries (4.9 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.
Jacobs also backs up his impressive statistics with style as well, as his athleticism is as good as I’ve seen from a rookie running back. Here’s a couple of plays to keep; in mind when surveying his skill set as a runner.
This is one of the best runs you’ll see all season, and I’d wager it even rivals some of Derrick Henry’s absolute best! Jacobs takes stopping on a dime to the next level on this run, and his incredible deep cut allows him to lose zero traction, somehow squeezing many more yards on this run.
Jacobs’ footwork and pad level make him next to impossible to bring down upon first impact.
According to Rotowire, Josh Jacobs is extremely high above average in broken tackle percentage (16.5%), and average yards after contact (3.0). This is extremely impressive considering he’s also doing this on 19.7 touches per game, also among the highest in the NFL this season. He’s ridiculously slippery, often commanding two or three defenders just to even bring him down.
In terms of receiving end, Jacobs has rarely made visits outside the backfield, but as a runner he’s powerful and awe inspiring. Oakland’s run game could very well take a huge hit tomorrow if he’s out, and that could be what the Titans need with a version of Derek Carr that’s played shaky as of late.
Josh Jacobs has emerged as a superstar in his rookie season, and though the Titans have a talented linebacker corps, they’re in for a test if the rookie is ready to go on Sunday.