Expectations have officially dropped for the 2021 Las Vegas Raiders, or have they?
That Was Mediocre Football
Neither team looked like a serious postseason threat on Sunday. This game was rife with offensive ineptitude, dumb penalties, and poor coaching decisions. The Raiders lost this game rather than the Bears winning it. If the Raiders want to be taken seriously this year, they need make several changes. Ironically enough, by the time of this publication, Las Vegas did just that.
Gruden Needs To Give Up On Offensive Philosophy
Run first is not working. All it does is put the team in a hole which then affects the passing game. The defense was able to pin its ears back, and it threw everything off just enough. That led to slight overthrows and drops. Just let Carr cook all game.
If I’m Jon Gruden (well, Rich Bisaccia moving forward), I’m studying lots of Oklahoma tape and maybe even giving Lincoln Riley a call to pick his brain. The Raiders need to run a college-style air-raid offense because…
The Offensive Line is Still Terrible
Moving Brandon Parker to tackle was in improvement, in the sense that it typically took defensive ends longer to get around him. Alex Leatherwood looked more natural inside, but it will take a while before he is anything more than barely a starting-caliber guard. There is still almost zero push up front on run plays, and in pass protection, they look like they’re holding on for dear life. The Raiders need to start looking for external solutions before this season becomes a lost cause.
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*Top Photo: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports