ALAMEDA, Calif. – Oakland RaidersRB Josh Jacobs was named the Pro Football Writers of America’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, the PFWA announced Tuesday. Jacobs was selected in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America.
Jacobs started in all of his 13 appearances, rushing 242 times for 1,150 yards and seven scores, adding 20 receptions for 166 yards. The 24th overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jacobs joined Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen as the only players in franchise history to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year after becoming the first rookie in Silver and Black to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier on the ground. Jacobs broke Allen’s rookie club record (697 yards) in just his first eight games, while also surpassing Allen for most 100-yard rushing performances (five) by a rookie in Raiders history.
Jacobs’ 1,150 rushing yards and seven scores in 2019 were both tops among rookie rushers. His 101.2 scrimmage yards per game also led his rookie class, while his 1,150 yards on the ground ranked sixth in the NFL this year overall and also rank sixth in Raiders lore among all single-season rushing performances. Among players 21-years-old or younger, Jacobs’ 1,150 rushing yards in his first 13 contests rank fourth all-time, trailing only Ezekiel Elliott, Edgerrin James and Barry Sanders.
With superb performances in the months of October and November, Jacobs became the first player in franchise history to earn Offensive Rookie of the Month honors and was the first player in the NFL to win the award multiple times since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. Per Pro Football Focus, Jacobs forced an incredible 70 missed tackles on runs this season, an NFL best among all rushers and the third-most since at least 2006, behind only Marshawn Lynch’s performances in 2013 and 2014.
Jacobs proved to be more than just an elusive rusher during his rookie campaign, gaining 686 rushing yards after contact, the most by anyone in his draft class and sixth-most by a first-year rusher through the first 13 games of a season during the Super Bowl Era. Jacobs’ finished with 290 more yards after contact than the next-closest rookie, good for fifth overall in just 13 contests after missing three due to injury.
A native of Tulsa, Okla., Jacobs appeared in 42 games over three years at Alabama. He totaled 251 carries for 1,491 yards with 16 touchdowns, adding 48 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns for the Crimson Tide, while helping the program capture a national title in 2017.
ABOUT THE PFWA: In its 56th season in 2019, the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams daily. Bob Glauber, the national football columnist for Newsday, is the organization’s president for the 2018-20 seasons. The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones is the PFWA’s first vice-president, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei is the PFWA’s second vice-president and The Athletic’s Mike Sando is the PFWA secretary-treasurer. At-large members include ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, ProFootballtalk.com’s Charean Williams, Sports Illustrated’s Jenny Vrentas and USA Today’s Mike Jones. Follow the PFWA at ProFootballWriters.org and on Twitter at @PFWAwriters.
Press Release Courtesy of the Oakland Raiders Media Relations
New teams making the playoffs, terrific turnarounds, consistent teams excelling again, records falling and young players making their mark. The 2019 season had it all.
Youth and success at the quarterback position highlighted the 2019 regular season as 208 games featured at least one starting quarterback under the age of 27, the most in a single season in NFL history. In total, quarterbacks under the age of 27 started 287 games and recorded 144 wins in those starts this season, both the highest single-season totals since 1970. Three quarterbacks under the age of 25 – Baltimore’s LAMAR JACKSON (2018 NFL Draft), Kansas City’s PATRICK MAHOMES (2017 NFL Draft) and Houston’s DESHAUN WATSON (2017 NFL Draft) – have led their respective teams to division titles in each of the past two seasons.
Competitiveness was a constant theme throughout the regular season as 68 percent of games (174 of 256) were within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter, tied for the fifth-most such games in a single season in NFL history, while 52.3 percent of games (134 of 256) were decided by eight-or-fewer points, also tied for the fifth-most such games in single season in league annals. Additionally, 57 games saw a team come back to win or tie after trailing in the fourth quarter.
Week 17 came down to the wire, as two playoff spots and two divisions titles – the NFC East and NFC West – were decided on the final day of the season. Sunday’s excitement was due in part to having 16 divisional games played on the season’s final day, a tradition instituted in 2010.
Five of the 12 playoff teams are new to the postseason in 2019: BUFFALO, GREEN BAY, MINNESOTA, SAN FRANCISCO and TENNESSEE. Since 1990 – a streak of 30 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.
Both the Green Bay Packers (NFC North) and San Francisco 49ers (NFC West) won their division after missing the postseason in 2018 and at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 16 of the past 17 years.
Teams to win their division a season after missing the postseason since 2003:
SEASON
NEW DIVISION WINNERS AFTER MISSING POSTSEASON THE PREVIOUS SEASON
2019
Green Bay, San Francisco
2018
Baltimore, Chicago*, Dallas, Houston*
2017
Jacksonville*, L.A. Rams, New Orleans, Minnesota, Philadelphia*
Baltimore*, New Orleans*, Philadelphia*, San Diego
2005
Chicago*, Cincinnati, New York Giants, Tampa Bay*
2004
Atlanta*, Pittsburgh, San Diego*
2003
Baltimore, Carolina*, Kansas City*, New England, St. Louis Rams
*Worst to first
OFFENSIVE TRENDS: The 2019 season will go down as one of the most prolific offensive seasons in league history.
Teams combined to score 1,332 total touchdowns, the third-most in a single season in NFL history, while the 11,680 total points were tied for the third-most in league annals.
MOST TOUCHDOWNS, NFL HISTORY
MOST TOTAL POINTS, NFL HISTORY
SEASON
TOUCHDOWNS
SEASON
TOTAL POINTS
2018
1,371
2013
11,985
2013
1,338
2018
11,952
2019
1,332
2019
11,680
2015
1,318
2015
11,680
With five teams – BALTIMORE (33.2 points per game), SAN FRANCISCO (29.9), NEW ORLEANS (28.6), TAMPA BAY (28.6) and KANSAS CITY (28.2) – averaging at least 28 points per game, the 2019 season joined 2014 (six teams) as the only seasons with at least five teams averaging at least 28 points per game since 1970.
The Ravens, who scored at least 40 points in five different games this season, led the NFL with 3,296 rushing yards and surpassed the 1978 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3,165) for the most rushing yards by a team in a single season in NFL history.
PROLIFIC PASSERS: In 2019, league-wide passing numbers continued to trend at a historic pace, as the marks for passer rating (90.4 – second), completion percentage (63.5 percent – second), total completions (11,331 – fourth) and touchdown passes (797 – fifth) were all ranked in the top five for highest in a single season in NFL history.
SEASON
RATING
SEASON
COMPLETION PCT.
SEASON
COMPLETIONS
SEASON
TD PASSES
2018
92.9
2018
64.9
2015
11,527
2018
847
2019
90.4
2019
63.5
2016
11,526
2015
842
2015
90.2
2016
63.0
2018
11,462
2014
807
2016
89.3
2015
63.0
2019
11,331
2013
804
2014
88.9
2014
62.6
2014
11,200
2019
797
Eleven quarterbacks passed for at least 4,000 yards in 2019, including four with at least 4,500 passing yards: Tampa Bay’s JAMEIS WINSTON (5,109), Dallas’ DAK PRESCOTT (4,902), the Los Angeles Rams’ JARED GOFF (4,638) and the Los Angeles Chargers’ PHILIP RIVERS (4,615).
Twelve quarterbacks threw at least 25 touchdown passes this season, including four with at least 30 touchdown passes: Baltimore’s LAMAR JACKSON (36), Winston (33), Seattle’s RUSSELL WILSON (31) and Prescott (30).
Three rookie quarterbacks – New York Giants’ DANIEL JONES, Jacksonville’s GARDNER MINSHEW and Arizona’s KYLER MURRAY– each passed for at least 20 touchdowns this season, marking the second season in league annals in which at least three rookie quarterbacks each passed for at least 20 touchdowns (2012 – ROBERT GRIFFIN III, ANDREW LUCK and RUSSELL WILSON).
Nine quarterbacks had a passer rating of 100 or higher in 2019, including three with a passer rating of at least 110: Tennessee’s RYAN TANNEHILL (117.5), New Orleans’ DREW BREES (116.3) and Jackson (113.3). The nine quarterbacks with a passer rating of 100 or higher were tied with the 2018 season for the most in a single season in NFL history.
The seasons with the most quarterbacks having a passer rating of 100 or higher in NFL history:
SEASON
QUARTERBACKS WITH 100+ PASSER RATING
2019
9
2018
9
2013
7
ALL-PURPOSE BACKS: Sixteen players rushed for at least 1,000 yards, including four players with at least 1,300 rushing yards, this season: Tennessee’s DERRICK HENRY (1,540), Cleveland’s NICK CHUBB (1,494), Carolina’s CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (1,387) and Dallas’ EZEKIEL ELLIOTT (1,357).
Seven players recorded at least 10 rushing touchdowns in 2019: Henry (16), Green Bay’s AARON JONES (16), McCaffrey (15), Minnesota’s DALVIN COOK (13), Elliott (12), the Los Angeles Rams’ TODD GURLEY (12) and Baltimore’s MARK INGRAM (10).
Twenty-six running backs totaled at least 1,000 scrimmage yards, including eight with at least 1,500 scrimmage yards, this season: McCaffrey (2,392), Elliott (1,777), Chubb (1,772), Henry (1,746), Jacksonville’s LEONARD FOURNETTE (1,674), Cook (1,654), Jones (1,558) and the Los Angeles Chargers’ AUSTIN EKELER (1,550).
Three running backs – Jones (19 scrimmage touchdowns), McCaffrey (19) and Henry (18) – each recorded at least 18 scrimmage touchdowns this season.
2019 was the third season in NFL history with three players totaling at least 18 scrimmage touchdowns each, joining 2005 (SHAUN ALEXANDER, LARRY JOHNSON and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON) and 1962 (Pro Football Hall of Famers JIM BROWN and JIM TAYLOR, and ABNER HAYNES).
RIDICULOUS RECEIVERS: Twenty-nine players had at least 1,000 receiving yards, including five with at least 1,200 receiving yards this season: New Orleans’ MICHAEL THOMAS (1,725), Atlanta’s JULIO JONES (1,394), Tampa Bay’s CHRIS GODWIN (1,333), Kansas City’s TRAVIS KELCE (1,229) and Miami’s DEVANTE PARKER (1,202).
Five players had at least 100 receptions in 2019: Thomas (single-season NFL record 149), Carolina’s CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (116), the Los Angeles Chargers’ KEENAN ALLEN (104), Houston’s DEANDRE HOPKINS (104) and New England’s JULIAN EDELMAN(100).
Three players had at least 10 touchdown catches this season: Detroit’s KENNY GOLLADAY (11), Baltimore’s MARK ANDREWS (10) and the Los Angeles Rams’ COOPER KUPP (10).
Five rookies recorded at least seven touchdown receptions in 2019: Tennessee’s A.J. BROWN (eight), the New York Giants’ DARIUS SLAYTON (eight), Baltimore’s MARQUISE BROWN (seven), Washington’s TERRY MCLAURIN (seven) and Seattle’s DK METCALF(seven). In total, rookies combined for 110 touchdown receptions in 2019 and surpassed 2014 (109 touchdown catches) for the most combined touchdown receptions by rookies in a single season since 1970.
DOMINANT DEFENDERS: Eighteen players recorded at least 10 sacks, including five with at least 14 sacks, in 2019: Tampa Bay’s SHAQUIL BARRETT (19.5), Arizona’s CHANDLER JONES (19), New Orleans’ CAMERON JORDAN (15.5), Minnesota’s DANIELLE HUNTER (14.5) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. WATT (14.5).
Five players registered at least five forced fumbles this season: Jones (eight), Watt (eight), Barrett (six), Washington’s RYAN ANDERSON (five) and Chicago’s KHALIL MACK (five). 2019 was the first season since 2002 (DWIGHT FREENEY and LEONARD LITTLE) that two players had at least eight forced fumbles in the same season.Ten players recorded at least five interceptions, including three with six interceptions, this season: New England’s STEPHON GILMORE (six), Minnesota’s ANTHONY HARRIS (six) and Buffalo’s TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE (six).
Press Release Courtesy of the NFL Communications Media Relations
