Suddenly, this game felt more important. After a season that could have been on the brink, the Dolphins have won three straight games and are back in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. They're playing a Packers team in Green Bay that I really liked coming into the season, but there was no reason to feel bad about them. The biggest reason is that they found something in the run game and running back Josh Jacobs. Jacobs came over as a free agent from the Las Vegas Raiders and he was everything they were looking for. He ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards, third in total yards after contact and has seven touchdowns. But Jacobs' impact on the Packers will really be felt when it comes to games in November and December.
Josh Jacobs is a great back to watch because he initiates so much contact. He doesn't just want to hit — he I invite you You should try hitting him. Among running backs with at least 100 carries this season, Jacobs ranks fourth in contact yards per attempt and third in forced broken tackles. His broken tackle and missed tackle rate is 19.8%, which ranks him 8th in the same metric. He's a human snowplow, and the game against the San Francisco 49ers was a perfect example of that.
Jacobs has very good contact balance and runs low to the ground, giving him a low center of gravity. He's a tough player to get on the ground, and the Packers could use his ability to break tackles at this point in the season. A devilish driving concept by Matt LaFleur. Bring the TE Tucker craft into a blast return motion and basically run the split zone with the spinner as eye candy. There was a hole for Jacobs and he hit a clean spin move to start the game.
This run doesn't mean much, but look at what Jacobs is doing to keep this ball past the stick. His hard running is what separates good teams from great teams, good backs from great teams, and what makes offenses stand out.
Again, what I love about Jacobs so much is that he just runs mad. I guess there's no other way to explain it, dude. He's getting so many yards for this team and that's so important. Not even All-Habuga team captain Malik Mustafa can stop Jacobs. This collision must have sounded like a hole in time, like when Kratos' ax and Thor's Mjolnir collided.
Why is Jacobs so important to this offense? That's because his tackle-breaking ability allows him to gain easy yards while QB Jordan Love and the passing game are in the home run hunt. Love's average depth of target (aDOT) this season is 9.4 yards, which ranks second in the NFL. They don't do any checkdowns. Because we have this dog-eat-dog style of play in the passing game, being able to stay on track and hit singles and doubles in the run game is very important. Although he does not have great breakaway gear, Jacobs is one of the best singles and doubles hitters in the league due to his strength and tackle-breaking ability. The Packers team doesn't have a lot of quick games, so the need for the run game is huge just to get easy yards so Love can get deep for trick shots.
I think Josh Jacobs' year, along with fellow running backs Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, proves the value of a good running back. I think we over-corrected the value of good backs, especially on offense. Running the ball never goes out of style, and a strong run game is a key point of a highly effective offense. Jacobs' running style, while not sexy, is effective and helps the Packers stay efficient.
