Steelers vs. Raiders: Top 5 bold predictions for Week 2

Steelers hold Josh Jacobs to 40 total yards

Josh Jacobs has been an interesting fit with the Raiders since being drafted. He was taken late in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft to a team that struggled to have an identity on their offense. He has looked good as a runner at times, but he seems to be dependent on a good line to open holes for him as opposed to creating opportunities himself.

Honestly, some parallels can be drawn right now with him and the Steelers’ Najee Harris.

Now, though, the Raiders expecting just him to be a runner in their scheme. They brought in Kenyan Drake to be their change of pace and receiving back, and the expectation is Jacobs will handle the majority of the running work while Drake serves as the third-down back.

This was the case in Week one, but Jacobs struggled to get the ball moving on the ground, as he only put up 34 rushing yards (he did score twice, though, to note).

His job doesn’t get any easier this week, as he is set to face a Steelers defense that has some stifling run defenders. While Devin Singletary did gain some overall yardage, that was due to his speed allowing him to exploit some bad run defense by Pittsburgh. Jacobs lacks that overall, as he relies more on power than straight speed.

Thus, Jacobs’ slow start to the season, yardage-wise, continues. By the end of the game, Jacobs still fails to record over 40 rushing yards for two weeks in a row, and this time, he is kept out of the end zone. Held without a catch as well, Jacobs leaves Sunday’s game as one of the worst offensive produces as he struggles to make an impact against a great defense.