Storyline: The Oakland Raiders are the top Wild Card in the AFC right now. Just mentioning playoff possibilities has Raider Nation pinching themselves. Let’s see if they can continue the trend in Pittsburgh next week.
Derek Carr, left, and Amari Cooper (courtesy, nypost.com)
The Oakland Raiders are a good football team. Their offense is downright dangerous–one of the better units in the NFL. That isn’t a rhetorical issue, either. It’s now a fact, based on performance during the first two months of the season–a fact made clear by last Sunday’s 34-20 dismantling of the-then 4-2 New York Jets.
The Raiders offense churned out 451 yards against the Jets 2nd ranked defense, including 118 yards on the ground against a stout Jets defensive front. For the second week in a row the Raiders notched 30 points in three quarters. The entire offensive unit has been smoking hot.
Let’s start with quarterback Derek Carr, who continues to blossom into a franchise QB. Carr threw 4 TD’s, didn’t have a single turnover, and gained 333 yards through the air. His quick decision-making, combined with rapid-fire delivery, gave the Jets no chance to get to the QB. It was no sacks and only a handful of hurries for Gang Green.
Latavius Murray looks refreshed after the bye week. He was hitting the hole fast and making cuts with authority. Murray totaled 113 yards rushing against a Jets team that had been giving up just over 70 yards per game. For his work he earned a spot on Pro Football Focus “Team of the Week.”
Although rookie Amari Cooper had a tough challenge against all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis, he made a few plays, too. It’s lucky for Coop that he has rejuvenated Michael Crabtree on the other side of him. Crab was a beast with 102 yards and a TD on 7 catches and he torched Jets cornerbacks repeatedly. The toughness of his runs were key. He caused 11 missed tackles, including a marvelous run through three defenders for a 36-yard TD in the 2nd quarter.
Taiwan Jones only had three touches, but one was a 59-yard TD reception that left about six Jet defenders in his wake. Jones has an absurd ability to make defenders freeze as he jukes by them. His run in the 3rd Quarter was priceless–even if it didn’t count because of a holding call. The defender seemed to be stuck in quicksand as Jones made three quick moves to get around him. Hey, Dennis Allen, this guy is an offensive weapon, NOT a cornerback!
Courtesy: sfbay.com
But none of these skill players would have been able to put on a show without the O-line paving the way. The Jets defensive line is filled with top talent and large men, but the Raiders large men put a downright beating on ‘em. The one thing about the Raiders large guys is that they can also move. The Raiders offense ran a lot of pitches and off-tackle plays with center Rodney Hudson or the guards pulling. It was a thing of beauty to see the way these big guys were moving and getting to the second level.
I wasn’t sure about the hiring of OC Bill Musgrave at first, but he has really harnessed player strengths and built a cohesive unit. The Raiders run primarily a quick, horizontal passing attack, which suits Carr’s strengths. And they have flexibility, too. They take their shots downfield, like the beautiful 49-yard bomb to Andre Holmes, and they also never abandon the running game. Even when in shotgun formation they keep giving the ball to Murray, which helps because usually the defense is in their lighter nickel or dime formations.
The amazing part is how quickly it has all come together, given all the new pieces and the youth. After only seven games the Raiders are running like a well-oiled machine. Of course, this is the NFL and things can change fast. For reference consider Andrew Luck and the Colts. However, the work we are seeing right now out of the offense gives me the best feeling I’ve had since 2002–maybe even better because the youth of this team just may be around for a while.
The Oakland Raiders would be the top Wild Card in the AFC right now. Just mentioning playoff possibilities to the Raider Nation in November has everyone pinching themselves. This isn’t a dream, but a fact. The Oakland Raiders are good right now. Let’s see if they can continue the trend in Pittsburgh next week.
Game Day Observations
Yes, I’ve been gushing about the Raider’s offense non-stop, but the YAC (yards after catch) of this team is literally off the charts. Cooper is the leading YAC receiver in the League, but almost every guy on the team has been creating plays. It was Crabtree and Jones against the Jets, but we’ve seen everyone–from Marcel Reece to Seth Roberts–make big plays in the open field.
I haven’t mentioned the defense but they, too, came to play versus the Jets–especially the front seven and the run defense. Jets running back Chris Ivory has been a terror this season, but he was bottled up for 17 yards on 15 carries. The Raiders had nine tackles for a loss on the day and also knocked both QBs, starter Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, out for portions of the game. Al Davis must have been very happy with QBs going down hard.
Courtesy: sfbay.com
The one major concern I have about the defense is the pass rush. At times Geno Smith seemed to have all day to find a receiver. With Aldon Smith and Khalil Mack on the outside I didn’t think this would be an issue, but the sack numbers just aren’t there. I can see the pocket collapsing, so the pressure is coming, but it always seems just a step slow. Maybe the coverage still needs to be tightened up to give the rushers that extra moment to make the play.
Charles Woodson took a week off, but was back at it again with his NFL-leading 5th interception of the year. Geno went deep, but Woodson played the center field role perfectly to make the sideline pick. The best part is when CWood raced to the sideline behind the Raiders bench and started the “Raaaaaiiiiddders!” chant with the fans. What football player!
Player of the Game
I’m going with QB Derek Carr for the second time this season. Carr had his highest QBR of the season at 93.6, including four TD passes (a season high). His decision making was on point all game. Carr kept the Jets’ defenders uneasy all game. When the Jets did get pressure on him, Carr stood in the pocket strong, took the hit, and still delivered the ball. His 21-yard strike to Seth Roberts in the 4th quarter was a perfect example. He got leveled, popped right back up, and went on to the next play.
It has been a superb season so far for Derek Carr.
