Greg Olson on the run game: ‘I think it’s trust. Big trust issues with the offensive line’

The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled running the football all season. There was hope after the performances in Week 6 and 7. However, it has returned to normalcy after dismal rushing in Arrowhead.

Josh Jacobs is having the worst season of his career and will be lucky to sniff 800 yards by the end of the season. Kenyan Drake is out for the year, and Jalen Richard can't get off the COVID-19 list. The run game will depend on Josh Jacobs to elevate his game.

Greg Olson had an observation about Josh Jacobs's troubles on Wednesday. The offensive line has been an issue for the running back and the quarterback.

“I think it’s trust. Big trust issues for everyone, whether it be the quarterback in trusting that they’ll get it done and I can get through my reads or progressions. And it’s no different than with a running back,” Olson said. “You got to trust to stay with my read and not try to do too much or go beyond what the read is asking me to do. And I think that’s sometimes comes into effect with both the quarterbacks and running backs, is the trust of what’s going on up front. They just got to trust one another and stick with it there.”

It is evident in the film that this is happening, as well. At the beginning of the game, Jacobs had an inside zone call with a slight cutback to get three or four yards. Instead, He decided to bounce inside zone, which was not part of the design and ended with a fumble.

We saw the example again later in the game with a counter run. Jacobs should be following the full-back but instead attempts to bounce a power run which would have an RB coach ripping his hair out.

Jacobs has to trust his line for the Raiders to finish strong. His offensive coordinators agree as well.