Wow! We are officially entering the best part of the vicious cycle that Raider Nation knows too well: the “hope” phase! It was only a few weeks ago that I felt nothing but apathy towards this team. By the end of this second straight overtime victory, I finally let myself get excited about this Las Vegas Raiders team once again. Here are a few quick thoughts now that we’ve had some time to digest the Silver and Black’s latest effort.
Embrace The Frustration Of The Josh McDaniels Era
Over these past two games, Josh McDaniels has done some truly impressive things and some things that make your head explode. His decisions have simultaneously put the Raiders in tight situations that they did not need to be in and gotten them out of those same situations. At this point, this is probably how things are going to be for a while, so Raider Nation better get used to it.
On the one hand, McDaniels designed some remarkable schemes. Two weeks in a row, the Raiders have won in overtime on perfectly designed and executed home run plays. Also, McDaniels finally came up with a great trick play. Mack Hollins was so open on that flea-flicker that he could have walked into the end zone from the 20. Generally speaking, the Las Vegas coach has found a way to get guys wide open in the passing game.
On the other hand, there are some basic game-management decisions being made that make no sense whatsoever. In this game alone, there were several questionable choices. The first came just before halftime when the Raiders kicked a field goal with 14 seconds left rather than taking a couple shots at the endzone. In the third quarter, the Raiders kicked another field goal deep in Seattle territory instead of going for it on fourth and short. Later in the game, McDaniels finally decided to go for it on fourth and inches. His play call, a toss to the short side of the field, was puzzling at best.
Raider Nation is going to have to learn to take the good with the bad because McDaniels isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Raiders games under McDaniels are going to be full of frustrating moments. However, you will also see some strokes of genius. Embrace the chaos!
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs Is The NFL’s Best
What running back is playing better than Jacobs right now? Christian McCaffrey? His role has been diminished since moving to the Bay Area. Nick Chubb? Can he make the catch shown below? Doubtful.
Catching targets 1-handed: Aim for as close to the front point as CB possible and catch with fingertips to stop the spin and generate a soft, slow recoil.
Josh Jacobs #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/gmanFceIOT
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 28, 2022
Jacobs has been so dominant this season, and he has done it in a multitude of ways. He can be a bruiser when he needs to be, going right through opposing defenders. He also has tremendous vision and patience to find the hole. When he does hit the hole, he shows a tremendous burst, as we saw on that game-winning run. Finally, as mentioned above, he is no slouch in the receiving department either. Jacobs is the most complete back in the NFL.
The Front Seven Has a Pulse
Going into this game, I don’t think that anyone thought that the Raiders could slow down Seattle’s vaunted rushing attack. The Raiders had been gashed on the ground repeatedly this season by much lesser competition. This seemed like it would be too tough of a test.
The Raiders’ defense shocked everyone with how well they stifled the run. The Seahawks were held to just 65 yards on the ground. A big part of this was some fantastic play by space-eating defensive tackle Andrew Billings. He plugged up the middle, allowing the leaders of the defense like Denzel Perryman and Maxx Crosby to go make plays. By stopping the run, the defense was able to get off the field quickly, which allowed more opportunities for the offense to go to work. We actually saw some complementary football once.
Josh Jacobs, The Epitome Of A Raider, Carries Team In Week 12