TUCSON, Ariz. — The Patriots’ run defense has been hit or miss this season.
The good: Holding Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb, perhaps the best running back in football, to 56 yards on 12 carries in Week 6. The bad: Allowing James Conner to average 5.7 yards on 15 carries in Monday night’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Well, New England’s front seven will need to be at its best during Sunday’s road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Fourth-year pro Josh Jacobs has taken his game to another level under head coach Josh McDaniels, leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,402) through 14 weeks. The Alabama product, who only has fumbled once, also is tied for third among all running backs with 11 touchdowns and has added 44 catches for 346 yards.
Entering Week 15, Jacobs is the top-ranked running back by Pro Football Focus, with Chubb, Tony Pollard, Aaron Jones and Christian McCaffrey rounding out the top five. If you said Jacobs is the best running back in the NFL, few would argue with you.
And that includes Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who spoke glowingly about Jacobs ahead of Wednesday’s practice at the University of Arizona.
“Yeah, he does (everything well),” Belichick said. “Leads the league in rushing. Strong, tough kid to tackle. Got good contact balance. Very powerful guy. Has good patience. Sees the hole, sees lanes and, as we saw, has breakaway speed. He’s been able to go the distance and create some explosive runs — not just the 5-, 6-yarders. He’s had some home runs, too. He’s got that kind of ability.
“Runs inside, runs outside, and has good vision. And, again, good contact balance. He gets a lot of two, three, four extra yards after the first guy hits him just because of his ability to play with good pad level and play strong. And has good ball security. I’d say that’s another great thing about him: He takes care of the football.”
Of course, Jacobs isn’t the only big-time player whom the Patriots will be worried about Sunday afternoon.
Vegas’ offense also boasts all-world receiver Davante Adams, who gave New England fits during joint practices in the summer. Additionally, excellent slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and star tight end Darren Waller both were designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for both to play against the Patriots.
Whether quarterback Derek Carr will be able to solve a Belichick-coached defense remains to be seen, but there’s no denying the immense talent that surrounds him. And if New England allows Jacobs to run wild, it’ll enable the Raiders to be even more effective in the passing game.
Much of the talk around Sunday’s game likely will center around the Belichick-McDaniels reunion, the ongoing struggles of the Mac Jones-led offense and the incredible ability of Adams. But don’t be surprised if you leave the pivotal matchup believing Jacobs was the best player on the field.
