Jordan Love vows to help Josh Jacobs avoid unfortunate NFL record
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The Green Bay Packers are back in Super Bowl contention mode after last season's supposed year of rebuilding. That rebuilding season turned into a run, which turned into an appearance in last year’s divisional round matchup. Meanwhile, Jordan Love became a high-valued playmaker.
This season, the Packers have higher hopes, thanks to solid additions to the team, including running back Josh Jacobs, one of the league's most dynamic and efficient running backs. Jacobs is looking to make a serious run for a Super Bowl title—and this time with one of the most historic franchises in the league.
The Packers, Love and Jacobs have similar goals in mind when it comes to postseason success. Head coach Matt LaFleur and Love hope to utilize Jacob's potential as a playmaker, including in the passing game.
But while Jacobs is one of the most dynamic players in the league at running back, there's one stat he hasn't racked up: a receiving touchdown. In his five years in the league, Jacobs has caught 197 receptions for 1,448 yards. That means he's getting awfully close (only four receptions away) to having the most receptions without a receiving touchdown. Love has stated he wants to help break Jacobs of this curse.
Jordan Love vows to help Josh Jacobs avoid unfortunate NFL record
Josh Jacobs’ success was hindered by the Raiders. He's been a reliable player in the passing game, yet he hasn’t accounted for a receiving touchdown.
But Jacobs has had the displeasure of playing with a horrible offensive line for several years, as well as a number of quarterbacks under center, including Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo and Aiden O'Connell. Carr is a middle-tier quarterback who encounters more disappointments in the postseason, but has good results in the regular-season. Garoppolo has been a game-managing quarterback who can lead his players into the end zone efficiently. And O'Connell was a fourth-round pick rookie who stepped in due to injuries.
The Raiders’ biggest problem throughout several seasons was the poor play of the O-line. The instability of the line was a big reason why the Raiders were short on the postseason, outside of their defense. The fact that Jacobs was the league’s rushing leader in 2022 is a miracle.
Ultimately, it's unknown why Jacobs was unable to account for a receiving touchdown with the Raiders. He's been utilized in several schemes sufficiently. One ultimate factor is that opposing defenses have made him a top priority every single time he's been on the field—and that's simply because he was the best player for the Raiders.
The Packers look to give Jacobs something the Raiders couldn’t
Now that Jacobs is with the Packers, there's even more potential for an even bigger impact. He's playing behind a much better offensive line, quarterback and offensive guru in LaFluer. The Packers showed that their rebuilding process was much shorter than NFL experts were led to believe. This was evident when they won six of their last eight games.
Love is one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the league and has already proven so much in his first year as starter—Love completed 372 of 579 passes for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns.
In those last eight games of the season, Love completed 70.25 percent of his passes for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception. He dominated the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card game by throwing for 272 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions before ultimately falling short against the San Francisco 49ers in the next round (24-21).
The Packers are ready for Love to take a step further as he enters his second season as a starter. The team is more than ready for a running back duo of Jacobs and A.J. Dillon in the backfield. There's a strong possibility that the Packers could have the top offense in the league with a more dynamic and aggressive team—and getting Jacobs in the end zone.
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