The simplest answer? The Raiders offensive line has to block better. According to Next Gen Stats, Josh Jacobs’ average yards per carry before contact is -0.1, which is the second-worst mark in the league among players with at least 40 carries. That means, on average, Jacobs is getting hit before he even gets to the line of scrimmage. Jacobs is adept at breaking tackles and making defenders miss — he’s averaging 2.5 yards per carry after contact (15th) — but there’s only so much he can do.
Despite leading the league in rushing last season, Jacobs is also to blame for the lack of success so far. As the story said, his holdout in camp cost him valuable time getting on the same page with his offensive line. Jacobs feels good physically, according to the story, but he acknowledged that time away has hampered his ability to read blocks early in the season. Jacobs and the offensive line have been in constant communication in an effort to get past the hiccups.
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