Jacobs-Adams Give Raiders What Allen-Brown Did

The Las Vegas Raiders are facing uncertainty, but they do know is that they have a combination of Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams that bring back fond memories.

The Las Vegas Raiders had the best running back-wide receiver combination in the National Football League this season, with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams.

Members of Raider Nation have seen this before with running back Marcus Allen and wide receiver Tim Brown, although it didn’t wind up as well as it could have, even though both are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

In fact, the Raiders had a record five Hall of Famers on their roster in 1991—Allen, Brown, defensive end Howie Long, cornerback Mike Haynes and safety Ronnie Lott.

Allen, the Raiders’ all-time leading rusher, and Brown, the franchise’s all-time leading receiver, played together only from 1988-1992. One could only imagine what might have happened had they stayed together longer.

However, Allen had his feud with Managing General Partner Al Davis and left the Raiders for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.

“It’s a shame Marcus and Tim Brown couldn’t have stayed together with the Raiders longer,” said Art Shell, a Hall of Fame tackle himself who was the Raiders’ head coach from 1989-94 and again in 2008.

“They were two of the best to every play their positions, but unfortunately, Marcus had his problems with Al near the end of his career with the Raiders.”

Allen rushed for a franchise record of 8,545 yards and 79 touchdowns in his 11-year career with the Raiders, while Brown made a Raiders-record 1,070 receptions for 14,734 yards and 99 touchdowns while being a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

In their first season together in 1988, Allen, who rushed for a career-high 1,599 yards in 1985, was already on the downside of his Raiders career with 832 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in addition to catching 34 passes for 303 yards and another score, while Brown caught 43 passes for 725 yards and five scores.

Brown was injured for much of the next season and caught only one pass for eight yards and the next season had only 18 catches for 68 yards and three touchdowns.

Allen’s career with the Raiders was going downhill as he was moved to fullback to become primarily a blocker for Bo Jackson and rushed for only 292 yards in 1989, 682 yards in 1990, 287 yards in 1991, and 301 yards in 1992—his last season with the Silver and Black.

Brown’s career, however, was on the rise as he caught 80 passes in nine of the 10 seasons through 2002, including a career-best 104 receptions for 1,408 yards and five touchdowns in 1997.

“I’m in the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and five or six more Hall of Fames,” said Brown, who was a nine-time Pro Bowl Selection. “So from that standpoint, what God wanted me to have. I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.”

Jacobs led the NFL in rushing this season with 1,563 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, while Adams ranked ninth in league with 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdown catches.

Both made the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams.

“Obviously, Josh and Davante have a great skill-set and we like to utilize that skill-set on a weekly basis,” Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi said of his two best offensive weapons. “And I think when the defenses do certain things, try to take them away, or to play a certain coverage, or a scheme, then that opens up opportunities for other guys in our offense.”

If the Raiders can keep Jacobs and Adams together, they should give them as much or even more than Allen and Brown did—and that’s saying something.

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