Paul Bretl | 11/21/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A former rushing leader and among the most productive ball carriers in football this season, Packers’ running back Josh Jacobs’ ability in the passing game could prove to be an important element for the offense against the San Francisco defense.
Jacobs’ resume as a ball carrier speaks for itself now six seasons into his NFL career. But when the Packers acquired the running back in free agency, they were also excited to bring in his ability as a pass-catcher, an at times, underutilized aspect of Jacobs’ game during his time with Las Vegas.
“There’s not a route, I would say, that he can’t run,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable during training camp. “I would say the most impressive thing above everything has been his hands. They’ve been exceptional. He’s a hands catcher for a running back and he has a big catch radius. He’s one of those guys who knows the route tree and can kinda do anything that we need him to do.”
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On the season, Jacobs has been a reliable target out of the backfield for Jordan Love, catching 23-of-27 targets and averaging 8.1 yards per reception with a touchdown. Against Chicago this past Sunday, Jacobs averaged over 14 yards per reception and was tied for first on the team in receptions and was second in yards.
Jacobs’ understanding of route concepts allows the Packers to get him involved in the passing game in a variety of ways–he doesn’t only have to get the ball dumped down to him out of the backfield. His soft hands make him a reliable target, and his ability in space makes him a really difficult matchup for the defense.
At a minimum, with Jacobs, there is the opportunity to move the chains on offense, but when in space, there also becomes the potential for an explosive play.
“I think with him, it’s also the fact that he has really soft hands and can adjust to the football,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans. “He’s hard to bring down, so now when he’s catching the ball in space, now defenders have to try to defend him in space, so it’s like handing him the ball with the defender five, six yards away from him and say, ‘go tackle that guy.’
“So he’s been really good out of the backfield. It’s one of the things that we talk about, catching the ball out of the backfield is an opportunity to keep the chains moving, which gives us more opportunities. So he’s been great for us from that standpoint.”
As a receiver specifically, Jacobs ranks 10th in average yards per catch among all running backs. As a ball carrier in general, he’s one of the most difficult players to bring down, ranking fifth in average yards after contact and seventh in missed tackles force. The end result is a back who is among the best at generating explosive plays.
“For me, man, it’s just not giving up on a play,” said Jacobs. “It’s trying to go out there and give everything that I have and never feeling like I didn’t try. Me being a vet in this locker room, me trying to be the leader that I want to be, I hold myself to certain standards, to a certain level of accountability, and I wouldn’t be able to come in here and look these guys in the eye if I feel like I didn’t get everything that I had, and I feel like I couldn’t ask that out of them if I wasn’t showing it or giving it.”
Against an all-around stout 49ers’ defense that is coming to Lambeau Field on Sunday, Jacobs’ pass catching abilities may end up being a key factor for the Packers’ offense.
Although dealing with some injuries, this is a Niners’ defense that ranks ninth against the run in yards per rush, is sixth in yards per pass attempt surrendered, and features a defensive front with Nick Bosa, who, of note, did not practice on Wednesday with an oblique injury.
The run game, of course, can’t be forgotten about. Struggling to pick up yards in the ground game will put Green Bay behind the sticks and in obvious passing situations against the 49ers’ pass rush that ranks 11th in win rate and a stingy secondary. Becoming one-dimensional and pass-heavy isn’t a recipe for success.
But with that said, utilizing Jacobs in the passing game can act as a pseudo-run game if yards between the tackles are hard to come by as it is a way to get him the ball in space.
Similarly to what we saw this past Sunday in Chicago where Jacobs was heavily targeted, if the pass rush is closing in on Love or there isn’t anyone open downfield, he can provide an outlet option.
“He’s one of those guys that you want to have the ball in his hands,” said Love about Jacobs. “He does really good things when he has it, and I think it just comes down to – like I said before – what defenses are doing. Anytime we can get the ball in Josh’s hands with five yards between him and the next defender, good things are going to happen. So just trying to keep getting him the ball, but he makes you right when you get him the ball.”
If Jacobs is able to create in the passing game, there is the potential for a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the offense. Defenders in the secondary could start to creep up, possibly opening up opportunities downfield, and in general, it’s more space that the 49ers’ defense will have to account for, which can help spread them out–although San Francisco does have the ultimate eraser in Fred Warner at linebacker.
“I think that the challenge is you just never know who’s going to get the ball,” said LaFleur of Jacobs’ impact in the run game. “And I think when you’re trying to push the ball down the field, and if they do a good job of getting depth in the coverage, and then the check downs are there, those check downs, especially when you’re checking it down to a guy like Josh, tend to go for more yards. So I think it adds a level of that, a dimension to our offense that you really have to account for.”
Against this 49ers defense, there is no magic wand a team can wave to find success. It’s going to take a complementary effort from both the run and passing games, but Jacobs’ impact in the passing game could provide the offense with something to lean on through the ebbs and flows of Sunday’s game.