Personally, I’m a big fan of giving the ball to Josh Jacobs. Historically, when he’s fed in large quantities, only positive things happen.
When the 2022 rushing king has at least 19 carries, the Las Vegas Raiders have won every game this season. The Raiders are also a whopping 13-3 when Jacobs has at least 100 yards rushing. However, the running back does not do all by himself. To get the run game going, the blocking of Andre James, Dylan Parham, and Greg Van Roten will need to be top-notch.
“Obviously, we don’t want those touches at 14; that’s not our number.” “Our magic number is 20 or more, and we have to stick to it,” Antonio Pierce said of Jacobs’ production on Monday. “It isn’t always pretty… We just have to remember what we’re saying and stick with it. And I have to give Josh [Jacobs] props for his patience. We have the best rushing back in the league, and we’re going to use him, and we have to use him.”
“I’ve known Isaiah since he was younger, he’s a very athletic safety,” said Pierce, who recruited Pola-Mao while coaching at Arizona State. “You spotted it on that deep ball there, came out the post, and went and collected it. In the game, I thought he was pretty physical. Here’s a man – you know how the starters get all the reps during the week? He may have only had a few reps, but you couldn’t tell since he came in straight away and was really impactful and physical in the run game. And clearly, he has some qualities in the backend that allow him to cover a lot of ground for us.”
It’s unclear whether Epps will be ready for Sunday’s game after being limited in practice on Wednesday, but it’s safe to assume Pola-Mao will get more reps moving forward. The best thing he can do is continue to be prepared when his name is called.
“We preach it all the time, don’t blink,” said Pola-Mao. “I’m sure it’s the same everywhere; next man up.” Prepare for the entire week as if you’re going to play; you never know what will happen.”
Following Marcus Epps’ departure, Isaiah Pola-Mao saw greater playing time versus the Dolphins.
Following a season in which he had not played more than 15 snaps in a game, the second-year safety saw 54 snaps against the Dolphins, resulting in a breakout performance. He finished with seven tackles, one pass deflection, and his first NFL interception. His Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 84.3 was second on the team.
“I’ve known Isaiah since he was younger, he’s a very athletic safety,” said Pierce, who recruited Pola-Mao while coaching at Arizona State. “You spotted it on that deep ball there, came out the post, and went and collected it. In the game, I thought he was pretty physical. Here’s a guy – you know how it goes during the holidays?
