Storyline: After years of futility the Oakland Raiders are on the verge of become a competitive NFL team. They’re in the process of learning how to win.
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I saw a team clad in Silver & Black win a football game in Cleveland last Sunday, but I’m not sure I could trust my eyes. The Oakland Raiders actually won by a score of 27-20 on the East Coast. Were those really Raider players looking like the much better team through three quarters? That competent offense seemed to move the ball at will.
Are you absolutely sure those were the Oakland Raiders? Yes. Yes. And Yes.
Courtesy: Fox Sports
After a dozen years of futility it looks like the Oakland Raiders are finally on the verge of being a competitive NFL team. A young and talented squad took the field on Sunday, a team that’s in the process of learning how to win. Yes, the game should have never come down to a game-saving interception by (living legend) Charles Woodson, but learning to win is a process and this team has taken massive steps in that direction over the last two weeks.
Part of the learning process is consistency from week-to-week. Derek Carr and the passing offense carried over fine play from the Week 2 win against Baltimore. Carr threw for 314 yards, 2 TDs, and the OL once again kept their QB sparkling clean. Carr won’t even need to wash his still-pristine white jersey for next week’s trip to Chicago.
Amari Cooper continued to astound as he zipped by all Cleveland DBs, including Pro Bowler, Joe Haden. Cooper had a total of 8 receptions and 134 yards. This Rook is simply a beast, especially on 3rd Down. His fourth quarter fumble kept Cleveland in the game but, luckily for Coop, he gets to learn with a W under his belt–much thanks to the assist from Mr. Woodson.
This week also saw the rushing attack explode for 155 total yards. The O-Line has excelled at pass protection and on Sunday they created seems for Latavius Murray. Murray’s quick feet, vision, and large frame usually allows him to get at least four yards with just a bit of daylight. In Cleveland, the O-line started opening large holes and Murray glided into the secondary for big gains.
On the defensive side of the ball, it was going to be hard for the Raiders to earn any more Ws in 2015 IF they continued the trend of giving up 33 points a game. And while the D wasn’t exactly brilliant in the second half against the Browns, big adjustments were made and the D made enough plays in the end to win. I’m sure the Raiders would take giving up only 20 points in any NFL road game–at least for now.
Courtesy: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
I loved the adjustments by the Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton Jr. — and the surprise it may have had on the Browns offensive coaches. Even Bay Area media admitted they had no idea a big change was coming. With Justin Ellis still hurting and unable to play, the Raiders front basically morphed into a five-man front with Dan Williams manning Nose Tackle and Aldon Smith and Khalil Mack standing up on the edges as hybrid defensive ends/linebackers. That approach helped end the Raiders sack drought. Oakland picked up five on the day, including two by Mack.
That wasn’t the only surprise that coordinator KNJr had up his sleeve. He moved cornerback T.J. Carrie over to free safety and started Neiko Thorpe at cornerback. Those moves allowed Woodson to move back to his strong safety spot where he’s more effective, and it enabled Carrie to cover the back end with his speed. While I’m not sure this move is permanent the Raiders needed a solution to cover for the loss of starting FS Nate Allen (to injury) in Week 1.
So, here I am, praising coaching adjustments, quarterback play, offensive line consistency, and gushing about playmakers at WR and RB. This member of the Raider Nation is still trying to adjust to a football world where the Raiders can actually have nice things happen for a change. The Raiders won an East Coast game over a bad football team. While it’s nothing to get too excited over, it’s nice–for once–not being “the bad football team.”
Game Observations
Charles Woodson has had an interception in 18 straight NFL seasons, his latest the game sealer in his home state of Ohio. I might just have a comment about CWood each week because the man is just freaking awesome. I’m so glad that he came back to the Silver & Black.
I love statistics and believe they add a valuable addition to the game. However, sometimes the so-called experts get stuck on a certain set of statistics without looking at the surrounding circumstances. That was surely the case this summer when I read so many articles about Derek Carr not succeeding as a sophomore based primarily on his poor YPA (Yards Per Attempt) number of 5.5 his rookie year. It’s amazing how much better Carr looks with actual talent and coaching around him. Sometimes you have to trust your eyes more than a spreadsheet.
Courtesy: chronicle.northcoastnow.com
And “fumble luck” is a huge part of the game that is not revealed in a box score. The Browns got the advantage three straight times in this one: a kickoff return fumble at the end of the 1st half was overturned; Mack forced a QB fumble in Q3 that the Browns recovered; and Cooper fumbled in Q4 and the Browns defense recovered. I was cursing the Gods of Fumble Luck until Travis Benjamin muffed a punt in Q4 and the Raiders recovered.
This year the Raiders have an astounding variety of weapons on offense Cooper is a legit, Pro Bowl caliber, #1 WR. Crabtree is the consistent vet with unbelievable hands. Murray is the ‘bell cow’ back who can grind out yards or pop the big one. Roberts could be a nifty slot receiver with some speed. Holmes makes a couple of plays each game as the fourth WR. Reece does a little of everything. Just imagine what might happen if the TEs get truly involved?
But, once again, the Raiders had penalty issues. The Raiders saw yellow a dozen times on Sunday. No matter who coaches this team the penalties seem to be there. This isn’t a Raider issue only; it’s a league-wide issue, too. Quit picking every little bit of contact and let the players play, refs! The league is setting penalty records every week and it makes for a frustrating viewing experience. Not sure what the league’s agenda is, but it surely isn’t entertainment.
Player of the Game
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The Men in the Trenches deserve some much needed props, so I’m going with the entire O-line. For the second straight week they team had over 400 yards, no sacks, and helped produce a 300-yard passer, 100-yard receiver, and 100-yard rusher.
Take a well-deserved bow, Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, Jamarcus Webb, and Austin Howard. Keep grinding, gentleman.
