JACKSONVILLE – Just trust me.
That’s all that was racing through Josh Jacobs‘ mind, as the Packers running back kept pounding away at Jacksonville’s defensive front during an eventual 30-27 win over the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Sunday.
Even when the big gains weren’t there early, Jacobs felt he was getting close to breaking one. All he needed was the carries.
“I kept telling them the whole game … I liked all the runs,” Jacobs said. “Even when they were tackling me, it was like I’m going down but I’m a step away from getting out of it. I just kept telling them – just trust me.”
The Packers did and it may have won them the game, as Jacobs proved to be a catalyst in Green Bay overcoming the absence of quarterback Jordan Love, who left in the third quarter with a groin injury and didn’t return.
Jacobs finished with 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, with most of that production coming in the final two quarters (14 rushes for 96 yards).
Jacobs opened the first full series with Malik Willis under center with four straight runs for 16 yards. After Willis scrambled for 20 yards, Jacobs broke a 38-yard TD run that might go down as one of Green Bay’s biggest plays of the season.
The score happened with 21 seconds left in the third quarter and served as an emphatic response after Jacksonville had just pulled ahead 20-17.
“My goal coming into this game was to inspire the play-caller, inspire the team,” Jacobs said. “Whatever that looks like, I just wanted to come in and run hard. Have the guys trust in me. It just played out that way.
“Unfortunately, Jordan got hurt. I just wanted to come in and make a statement that we could still win games running the ball. We can still win games however we want if we lock into the details.”
Signed as a free agent in March, Jacobs has rushed for 667 yards in his first eight games. Only former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Eddie Lacy (669 in 2013) has more in his first eight games with Green Bay.
“Man, Josh is different,” said reserve running back Chris Brooks. “We all see what Josh does. What he brings to the table is everything. It’s good for young guys like me and ‘E’ (Emanuel Wilson) to look at that and get better looking at him.”