Booker boosts backfield

The Raiders are running the ball better than they did a year ago, which is not too surprising considering Josh Jacobs has managed to stay healthy and continues to be the productive back he was as a rookie.

- Michael Wagaman

Devontae Booker deserves a great deal of credit, too.

While Jacobs is on pace to surpass the 1,150 yards he piled up in 2019, Booker has proved to be equally valuable as the Raiders backup running back, a point he drilled home emphatically with his 23-yard touchdown run against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9.

Midway through the first quarter, Booker took a handoff from quarterback Derek Carr and took off around the left corner behind the blocks of center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson, both of whom were pulling on the play. Booker breezed past both of his blockers at the 13 then sprinted the rest of the way untouched into the end zone for the Raiders first touchdown of the day.

It was picture-perfect a play as the Raiders have run this season and it came while their top back, Jacobs, stood on the sideline cheering as Booker scored his first touchdown in more than two years. Before that, the last time he went into the end zone with the ball came Nov. 4, 2018 against Houston when Booker was logging backup duty in Denver.

This one meant more, both for the Raiders and for Booker.