Raiders HC Josh McDaniels continues to harp on Josh Jacobs not being the issue

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Oct 27, 2023 3:58 PM EDT

Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs — Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders have been terrible on offense this season, whereas they were pretty decent on offense last year, or, more so, average than anything. That's surprising, considering this roster is better on paper on that side of the ball than it was last year.

The biggest issue, and biggest surprise really, this year has undoubtedly been how bad the run game is. Last year, they had one of the best run games in the league, considering they had the league's rushing leader in Josh Jacobs.

But this year has been far from that, and it's not really Jacobs fault. Oftentimes, this year, Jacobs gets hit by a defender before he even gets to the line of scrimmage. A lot of that is on the offensive line. There seems to be a narrative forming that maybe Josh Jacobs isn't as good or isn't the same player. Josh McDaniels is making sure people know he is

"Yeah, no, I see the same player," McDaniels said on Thursday. "We've talked about this a lot; it's a team effort in terms of being able to do the right things and provide opportunities for ourselves in the running game. But, no, I see the same JJ."

So, what is the issue? Well, it's clear the Raiders have a huge offensive line problem when it comes to the run game. They are having trouble getting any kind of push up front. But there is more to it than that.

"Like I said, if there was one thing, I think we would have already done whatever that is," McDaniels continued. "I think we have to settle in on what we're doing and try to do it better. And if we need to do fewer things and do it more times, then that's what we'll try to do.

"I think just in general terms working together. We're all the solution; it's not just one player or one thing. I think all of us have a role to play in that, and I think our guys understand that and embrace the mentality that we need to have. We've talked a lot about it; it's time for us to go out and do it better."

There is one issue, though. The Raider's run game likely won't see that huge change this week. The Detroit Lions are the second-best run defense in the league, allowing just 76 rushing yards per game. Maybe, just maybe, we see Jacobs break that one play off that we have been waiting all season for. Only time will tell.