Bo’s Hit-and-Run Routine Has the Redskins Grasping for Air

Tailback Bo Jackson of the Raiders took a pitch from quarterback Steve Beuerlein and sprinted around left end. Linebacker Greg Manusky wrapped his arms around Jackson, but Jackson eluded him and cut back across the field.

“Bo made a nice cut,” Manusky said. “I got an arm on him and I tried to wrap it around him and he broke through.”

Jackson also broke another tackle on the way to a 73-yard touchdown run in the Raiders’ 37-24 win over the Washington Redskins Sunday at the Coliseum.

Strong safety Alvin Walton hit Jackson on the hip, but Jackson bounced off and ran for the end zone. Bo ran 10 yards out of the end zone and flipped the ball over his shoulder in celebration.

“There’s nothing better than a run like that,” Jackson said. “I felt (Manusky) right on my heels and at the last minute I cut back across the field and I knew that he wasn’t going to catch me. If I would have run straight like I ran the last leg I knew he would have caught me.”

Quarterback Steve Beuerlein, who watched the play unfold, marveled at Jackson’s ability to escape the Redskin defenders.

“Once Bo gets a head of steam going these guys don’t seem to realize that you can’t hit him high and expect him to go down,” Beuerlein said. “The only way you can get him down is to go at his legs. If you don’t get his legs I don’t think there’s anyone that has the speed to catch him.”

Nobody caught Jackson Sunday.

After rushing for a total of 164 yards in his first two games, Jackson made his first start and gained 144 yards in 19 carries against Washington. It was the second time in his three-year National Football League career that he has rushed for more than 100 yards.

“Bo Jackson was no surprise,” Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said. “He broke that run at the beginning of the third quarter and that was really a big play.”

Indeed.

Jackson seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, rushing for 118 yards in the second half.

“You could say that I get more fired up as the game goes on,” Jackson said. “The whole team is like a locomotive. We start off slow and just pick up speed and momentum and everything just goes with it.”

With the crowd chanting, “ Bo, Bo, Bo, “ Jackson had a 45-yard touchdown run nullified by a holding penalty in the fourth quarter.

Was Jackson disappointed that the touchdown run was nullfied?

“Nope,” Jackson said. “If it was a play deciding the outcome of the game I probably would have been disappointed. But we had a comfortable lead. It was just one of those things that happen.”

Like any smart running back, Jackson praised his offensive line.

“The offensive line blocked their . . . off today and I hope they do it again next week,” Jackson said. “If they give me holes like I got this afternoon you can bet the farm that I’m going to do everything I can to score.”

Raider guard Steve Wisniewski doesn’t think Jackson needs many blocks to break a long run.

“It’s kind of pointless to chase after him because I know I’m not going to make any type of block for him,” Wisniewski said. “You make a block and you just stop and look at him. That run was sweet. I just had my mouth open just watching him run down the field.”

After joining the Raiders three weeks ago, Jackson has rushed for 308 yards in three games, an average of 102.6 yards per game, and is on a pace that would give him his first 1,000-yard season as a pro.

Although NFL defensive coordinators have designed defenses to stop Jackson, Bo knows how to break the big play.

“Anybody’s capable of breaking a big play,” Jackson said. “When a team is keying on our running game it opens up the passing game and when they key on the running game it opens up the passing game.”

The Raiders have flourished since Jackson joined the team. After starting the season with a 2-3 record, the Raiders are 2-1 since Jackson reported. The Raiders, who averaged 121.8 yards rushing in their first five games, are averaging 157.3 yards on the ground since Jackson joined the team.

Has he made the difference?

“I’m just one of the 11 guys out there playing,” Jackson said. “If the team plays better when I’m out there, that’s great. But I don’t think that’s the case. We want to get back to the old Raiders and let all of this talk die that the Raiders are getting soft.”