How the Las Vegas Raiders can win the AFC West in 2020
By Ryan Fedrau
4. Running game is stout with Josh Jacobs
As mentioned earlier, Josh Jacobs is going into Year 2 with Gruden and the Raiders. He is coming off of a rookie season where he rushed for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns. He impressed early and often, especially against the Bears’ defense earlier in the season.
The problem is, there wasn’t any constancy behind Jacobs for the Raiders in 2019. That’s going to have to change if they want to win the close games and ultimately win the AFC West.
Backup running back DeAndre Washington had a decent season, staying healthy playing in all 16 games, rushing for 387 yards on just 108 attempts. However, he’s gone. The Raiders are going to need to find that consistency behind Jacobs somewhere else.
Jalen Richard has the potential to step up, as he rushed for 145 yards on just 39 carries in 2019. If he gets the ball more in 2020, he could match the numbers Washinton out up.
They drafted Lynn Bowden Jr, who rushed for 1,468 yards in college last year. If he can make a smooth transition to the NFL, the third-round pick could be a key factor in the Raiders winning games this season.
No one should be worried about Jacobs having another solid year, the worries come behind him. If Richard and Bowden Jr. can have solid seasons, the Raiders shouldn’t have any trouble running the ball.