The Giants running back was clearly miffed when asked about teammate Ahmad Bradshaw's success this season compared to his own. While Jacobs has gained 355 yards on 100 carries in 2009 — an average of 3.55 yards per run — Bradshaw has gained 375 yards on 58 rushes for an average of 6.5 yards per carry.
"A lot of the stuff suits him perfectly," Jacobs told Yahoo Sports. "If someone is running free, he is able to see him real quick, make him miss and do something. Me, I am 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. I am supposed to run into people. I am supposed to take somebody on. That's me. If I don't do that, I am terrible. So it is what it is."
When asked if he deemed himself a tone-setter on the field, Jacobs became noticeably fired up.
"You're just looking for some [junk], aren't you?" Jacobs said to the reporter, before adding, "Yes, I see myself as a tone-setter. Yes, I do. I am going out and just running into people. I'm 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, doing what I am supposed to do, running into people and getting a 2-yard loss. Happy?"
Jacobs abruptly ended the interview by picking up his shoes and walking away.
Despite Jacobs' decline in production — last year, he averaged five yards per carry — the team has been quick to say it is not disappointed in him.
"I just think his stats are not as high as the success he has experienced in the past," said Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "He wants to do more, which is good. Looking to do whatever he can do, he is looking to do it for the sake of the team. I think that is what he feels, he wants to be an effective runner because he knows our team needs that."
Giants center Shaun O'Hara seconded that notion.
"The thing he brings to our offense and to the game is his physical presence," O'Hara added. "What may not be seen in stats for him, is stats for other people."
