Dolphins vs. Packers is the very best stakes recreation of Thanksgiving

Abruptly, this recreation feels a lot extra essential. After their season doubtlessly being on the brink, the Dolphins have rattled off three straight wins and are proper again within the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. They go as much as Inexperienced Bay to face a Packers workforce that I got here into the season actually excessive on, they usually’ve given me no cause to really feel worse about them. The largest cause is as a result of they’ve discovered one thing of their run recreation and RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs came visiting as a free agent from the Las Vegas Raiders, and he’s been all the pieces that they’ve been searching for. He’s third within the NFL in speeding yards, third in complete Yards after Contact and has run for seven touchdowns. But it surely’s once we get to video games in November and December the place I actually assume we really feel Jacobs’ influence on the Packers.

Josh Jacobs is a good again to observe as a result of he initiates a lot contact. He doesn’t simply need to hit— he invitations you to try to hit him. Amongst all RBs with a minimum of 100 carries this season, Jacobs is fourth in Yards After Contact per try and third in damaged tackles pressured. His damaged sort out and missed sort out charge of 19.8% is eighth in the identical metric. He’s the human snowplow, and his recreation towards the San Francisco 49ers was the right instance of that.

Jacobs has such good contact steadiness and runs low to the bottom, forcing his middle of gravity decrease. He’s a load to try to get to the bottom, and in these elements of the season the Packers may use his means to interrupt tackles. It is a diabolical run idea by Matt LaFleur. Convey TE Tucker Kraft in blast return movement, and mainly run break up zone with the spinner as eye sweet. The opening opens up for Jacobs, and he hits a clear spin transfer to start out the sport.

This run doesn’t go for a lot, however have a look at what Jacobs does to maintain this ball forward of the sticks. His exhausting operating is what separates good groups from nice ones, good backs from nice ones and retains that offense afloat.

Once more, what I like about Jacobs a lot is that he simply runs ANGRY. Like there’s no different technique to describe it, man. He simply grinds out so many good yards for this workforce, and it issues a lot. Not even Captain of the All-Habooga workforce Malik Mustapha can cease Jacobs. This collision needed to have seemed like when Kratos’ axe and Thor’s Mjolnir collided, it ripped a gap in time.

Why is Jacobs so essential to this offense? As a result of his sort out breaking means will get them the simple yards whereas QB Jordan Love and the passing recreation go residence run looking. Love has an Common Depth of Goal (aDOT) of 9.4 yards this season, second within the NFL. They don’t throw checkdowns, like in any respect. Due to this feast-or-famine model of play within the passing recreation, having the run recreation simply have the ability to hold you on monitor and hit singles and doubles is so essential. Jacobs, without having an elite breakaway gear, is among the greatest singles and doubles hitters within the league on account of his energy and tackle-breaking means. With the shortage of a lot fast recreation within the Packers’ weight loss plan, the necessity for the run recreation simply to get these simple yards is big so Love can attain deep within the bag of trickshots.

I feel Josh Jacobs’ yr, together with fellow RBs Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, are proving the worth of RB. I feel we overcorrected on the worth of again, particularly throughout the offense. Operating the ball won’t ever exit of favor, and a robust run recreation is a crucial level of an uber efficient offense. Whereas Jacobs’ operating model isn’t horny, it’s efficient, and it’s serving to hold the Packers environment friendly.