Raiders report: Getting Josh Jacobs, run game going is priority

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Va. — The Raiders’ ground game was largely stuck in neutral Sunday despite star running back Josh Jacobs returning to the team after being away during a contract dispute.

It will be a priority to get it shifted into gear.

While Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing yards last season, tried to accept the blame after a season-opening 17-16 victory at Denver, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi said it will be the responsibility of the entire offense to fix it.

“Across the board, tight end, offensive line, backs. Whether it’s the run read, double team, we just have to make sure that all 11 players are connected,” Lombardi said Tuesday. “We talk about that a lot, getting a hat to hat in the running game, all 11 players being connected. So, if there’s one instance where one player either falls off on a double team, or the back reads the play wrong, or the receiver doesn’t block the fourth player, you can have a run that doesn’t go for a lot of yards.”

Jacobs had 19 carries for 48 yards, with his longest run 7 yards. Zamir White was the only other running back to record a carry, gaining 2 yards on one attempt.

The Broncos committing extra defenders to stop the run was certainly a factor. But Lombardi believes the offense can do more even against unfavorable boxes as long as the game plan is executed.

“That’s a goal for us moving forward this week is just saying, ‘Let’s get all 11 players connected and doing their job, because that’s really what makes a good run play go,’” he said. “That’s what we got to try to do a better job consistently. You saw them try to play physical, you saw them double team really well, and we just have to sustain our job better and longer.”

As for Jacobs getting all but one carry, Lombardi attributed that to game script. Even though the plan is to start to get others more involved, Sunday’s game saw limited possessions, especially in the first half.

“It was one of those weird games,” he said. “We had a long drive, and that’s why you saw Zamir get in the game. You start playing more drives and more series and more plays in the game, you’re going to see a lot more substitutions and a lot more guys coming in and getting involved.”

The advanced metrics back up the Raiders’ offensive line being better in pass protection than the run game.

According to ESPN’s Next Gen Stats, the line recorded a 75 percent pass blocking win rate — the second-best mark in the league for Week 1. It finished 13th in run block win rate at 72 percent.

On the road

The Raiders are practicing in the Eastern time zone this week before Sunday’s road game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Greenbrier, a historic resort with a 55,000-foot Sports Performance Center, will be their home away from home for the week.

Several teams have called the facility home for training camp or brief stops during the season, beginning upon its completion in 2014 when it hosted the New Orleans Saints.

Moving on

Coach Josh McDaniels liked how his team responded to the season-opening road win against a division opponent.

“When you win a game in the league, you should be excited about doing that. It’s hard to do,” he said. “Our team responded appropriately and should be happy about that. And at the same time, we weren’t even on the plane, and they knew that there’s a lot of areas where we need to improve and we can improve. I loved our attitude (Monday) morning. They have a great focus.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.