Raiders' Zamir White Steps up in Josh Jacobs' Absence
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--Only hours before the Las Vegas Raiders' biggest game of the 2023 season, they announced they would be without All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs for a second game in a row.
Jacobs has been dealing with a quad injury and struggled with the pain while preparing for Monday's Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"When you can't lift the leg up, can't do high knees or anything like that, I mean, you've just got to make the smart decision rather than going out there and hindering the team trying to selfishly play," Jacobs said after the Chiefs game.
One would think the absence of the league's reigning rushing champion would severely hurt Las Vegas' chances of defeating a formidable opponent like the Chiefs.
Surprisingly, that was not the case.
Jacobs was replaced by second-year Raider running back Zamir White for a second consecutive week. Before the most important game of his NFL career, White was told by his friend and mentor, Jacobs: "You're due for a good one."
And that he was.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White stepped up in Josh Jacobs' absence against the Kansas City Chiefs.
© Denny Medley | 2023 Dec 25
White finished Monday's game with 145 rushing yards, including 64 on the final drive, which ultimately sealed the Raiders' victory.
"Just waiting my turn and just grinding hard, just trusting my teammates with the help of Josh and the other running backs," were what White said allowed him to rise to the occasion. "Yeah, it was great just getting out there doing my thing and just having a good time doing it."
The Raiders led 20-14, with under three minutes remaining in the game as the Kansas City faithful cheered on its defense, asking for one more stop.
On the first play, White burst up the middle for a six-yard gain, foreshadowing what was to follow. He then exploded for a 43-yard run to the Chiefs' 26-yard line. As if that wasn't enough to put the nail in the coffin, White finished with a 15-yard run after Kansas City used its third and final timeout.
White's performance was only the latest of a series of "next-man-up" outings for the Raiders, a mentality that has helped them remain alive in this final push for the playoffs.
The Silver and Black continue the season on New Year's Eve versus the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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