GREEN BAY, Wis. — Josh Jacobs was sitting in a Las Vegas Raiders meeting when the Jordan Love movie came on.
Do running backs watch opposing quarterback film?
The footage was so impressive that then-head coach Josh McDaniels had it on standby for the entire team to watch while they were preparing to play the Green Bay Packers last October.
With 12:21 left in the third quarter against the Chicago Bears, Love faked a handoff to running back Aaron Jones and rolled to his left.
Then, with Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones closing in, Love threw a back-shoulder fade to Jones on the right side of the backfield. With the help of a downfield blocker, Jones finished five yards to the line of scrimmage, then three yards to the line for a gain. Soon after, he exploded 51 yards down the right sideline.
The play was impressive, but for months to come, Jacobs’ mind also lingered on how the snap came to be.
“I remember that play like it was yesterday,” Jacobs told Yahoo Sports from Green Bay’s new locker room Tuesday. “He threw it with one leg and the numbers were gone. It was on the money like a dart. (I thought) ‘Yeah, bro. He caught it.’
“(Patrick) Mahomes is the only one who can see that, so I thought, ‘Wow, he has the potential to be special.'”
When the Packers signed Josh Jacobs in free agency, he thought of this video and what it would mean to play alongside Jordan Love.
“You can just see Mahomes do that,” Josh told me. “So I thought, ‘Wow, he has the potential to be special.’
“Yeah, bro. He figured it out.” pic.twitter.com/aCvwVbxGgU
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) July 24, 2024
Coming from a team with a bottom-10 passing offense, Jacobs considered the talent and opportunities around him when he reached free agency. He said “10 or 12” teams reached out to hire the services of the 2022 NFL rushing champion.
After seeing how quarterback instability challenged his team in 2023, he wanted to join a competitive team that could find an answer at quarterback. (Love has yet to practice in training camp as he awaits a new contract, but Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Monday, “We know he’s our franchise quarterback, and he’s ready to move on. It’s not like we’re trying to make that decision.”)
“After playing with him, I kept in touch with him,” said Jacobs, a team official who includes special teams coach and former Raiders interim head coach Richie Visacia. “They started to improve and get better. I thought, ‘Yeah, this guy’s going to be good.'”
Jacobs, wearing a Packers uniform, also got that chance.
The Raiders’ 2019 first-round pick had three 1,000-yard seasons in his first four years, peaking with 1,653 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022. He was down to 805 yards (11th in the league) and six touchdowns last season due to a quad injury, missed training camp, and instability from both the quarterback and coach.
What will his role be for the Packers?
“Wow, it’s really cool. It feels like there’s no limit,” Jacobs said. “I feel like I can go as far as I want and they’re giving me the opportunity. That’s what I like the most about it is that I can go out there and catch the ball and run routes and show (more).”
With Jones gone, Jacobs is expected to be the top running back in an offense that finished with 61 rushing yards and two touchdowns in its second-round playoff appearance. The Packers also benefited from 2020 second-round pick AJ Dillon’s 613 rushing yards and two touchdowns last season, but his 3.4 yards per carry was behind Jones’ 4.6.
Jacobs averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last year, but he expects that to change this season as his quads heal and more receivers focus on defense.
Once the intense practice begins, developing chemistry with the offensive line will also be important.
“We’re going to have to figure out the nuances of his game, learning when to cut back, when to press the sights and hit it out,” center Josh Myers told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not going to sit here and say I know right now, but he’s a tremendous football player.”
And in a market where running back value is tight, he’s keenly aware of the value he has to offer.
A year ago, Jacobs, Saquain Barkley and Tony Pollard sought more stability than the franchise tags they received from the Raiders, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.
Now each is preparing for the season with their new teams.
“Understand that this is a business, don’t take it personally, and be smart and very calculated in your next moves,” Jacobs said of his advice to running backs. “The more you can do on the field, the more you can do. So try to develop your game.
“If you feel weak in this area, try to strengthen it and reach the best level you can be.”
And always be prepared for Love to fade away across the field.
