Raiders' HC provides context to the Josh Jacobs situation
Josh McDaniels needed to address the elephant in the room. After Josh Jacobs pulled no punches after the Las Vegas Raiders' 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, declaring his frustration with his workload and the contest's outcome. “We still had opportunities to make plays,” Jacobs said after carrying the football 15 times for 44 yards […]
Josh McDaniels needed to address the elephant in the room.
After Josh Jacobs pulled no punches after the Las Vegas Raiders' 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, declaring his frustration with his workload and the contest's outcome.
“We still had opportunities to make plays,” Jacobs said after carrying the football 15 times for 44 yards against the Steelers. “I feel like in times where we were close and we felt like we were about to get a big one, we went away from it. And the passing game was working early, so that is what it is.
“But to win these games, especially at the end of the stretch especially when you up against a team like this in the cold, you got to run the ball, so that’s a factor on everybody involved from top to bottom.”
McDaniels' answer
So, on Monday, McDaniels answered with a head coach's perspective on Jacobs' emotion following the loss.
"Our guys want to win," he said. "It's an emotional sport. You're allowed to be frustrated. JJ expressed his feelings, and it is what it is. I love the guy. I think he stands for the right things, and he wants to help us win, and he should, and he has. So there's a lot of things that are going to be evaluated here as we go forward and try to make decisions that are in the best interest of our team and our organization."
Much like the product on the field, McDaniels gave a mediocre answer as to why Jacobs, the Raiders' unquestioned best offensive player, received the second-fewest number of carries he's had all season.
The fewest number of rushing attempts came against New Orleans when the Raiders were playing from behind early.
But the difference with Saturday's loss was Las Vegas played in cold weather conditions and held an early lead. Still, McDaniels didn't lean into the run game. The result was a loss and Jacobs' frustration.
Can you really blame Jacobs? I wouldn't.
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Feature image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
