Biggest Takeaways from Oakland Raiders' Week 7 Win
On Sunday, the Oakland Raiders played their unofficial ninth home game of the season and emerged victorious in a close but not so close contest.
As expected, fan loyalty at Qualcomm Stadium seemed split down the middle. One prominent Raider even admitted to using crowd control during the game. But whether the fans played a role in it or not, Oakland jumped on the San Diego Chargers from the first whistle.
However, despite 45 minutes of pure dominance on both sides of the ball by the Silver and Black, the Chargers found a way to add a dramatic spin to the end of the game.
Tight end Mychal Rivera’s sure-handed performance sealed a victory with two onside-kick recoveries in what could have turned into a late disaster. Like Rivera, some reserve players made critical contributions.
One rookie reached the halfway point to a milestone that should put him in the conversation for an award.
What are the biggest storylines following the Raiders' third victory of the season? What do they mean for Oakland going forward?
The Raiders' Ninth Home Game?
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The roar from the crowd at Qualcomm Stadium came from nomadic Raiders fans. On some drives, you could hear loud chants of “defense” with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers attempting to set up plays.
Safety Charles Woodson may have been one of the primary culprits in this home-field betrayal, per San Jose Mercury News writer Jimmy Durkin:
“I tried to get the crowd into it one time when they had the ball, and they responded,” said Woodson. "It felt like a home game.”
Wide receiver Amari Cooper chimed in with his perspective on the ratio of fans in attendance, per Durkin:
“It seemed like it was 50-50,” said Cooper. Our fans were really loud. It was just a perfect day to play football.”
It’s no secret that Raiders fans travel well, and on Sunday, they made San Diego sound like home to the Silver and Black. The Raiders will play the Chargers again in Oakland on Christmas Eve.
Small Man, Big Role
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Who knew running back Taiwan Jones would play a major role in the Raiders backfield? All the attention during the offseason was focused on Latavius Murray’s expanded role as the lead back.
Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer dominated the conversation for the primary backup role throughout the offseason. Jones became an afterthought, viewed as nothing more than a gadget player without a solid role. Since then, Roy Helu Jr. has left much to be desired as the primary backup ball-carrier over the past few weeks.
On Sunday, Jones didn’t handle a high volume of carries, but he gained huge chunks of yardage in a limited role. He ran for 35 yards on three carries, which pushed the Raiders over 100 rushing yards for the second time this year.
The Raiders coaching staff isn't subscribed to the idea of handing off to Murray 20-25 times weekly. The presence of a potential No. 2 option in Jones lightens the load for the starter and adds uncanny speed to the ground attack.
Missing Link on Offense?
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On Sunday, rookie tight end Clive Walford scored his first NFL touchdown against a depleted Chargers secondary without safety Eric Weddle.
Quarterback Derek Carr hasn’t found consistency at the slot wide receiver position, but on Sunday, Walford—at 6’4", 258 pounds—filled that void as a deep-threat receiver. Carr connected with Walford on two throws for 42 yards.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave mentioned the imminent expansion of the tight end’s role, and the game plan delivered immediate results. Walford could find himself on Carr’s radar as the third option on offense going forward.
Pay close attention to the Raiders' red-zone pass plays, as Walford could develop into a viable target in such situations.
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Fourth-Quarter Woes
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Both the Cleveland Browns and the Chargers nearly dug themselves out of large deficits with late comebacks in the fourth quarter. San Diego scored 23 unanswered points to shrink a 37-6 lead down to 37-29.
Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. put the Raiders defense on cruise control and ran the prevent defense, allowing uncontested yardage on underneath routes. The Raiders dominated the Chargers offense for three quarters with physical play, but they simply took their foot off the pedal.
Sunday should serve as a lesson for this young Raiders squad. The concept of playing a full 60-minute game isn't just an old cliche.
Head coach Jack Del Rio must drill his players and coaches on maintaining focus and avoiding complacency. After all, a killer instinct is a valuable trait in a serious playoff contender.
Amari Cooper Halfway to 1,000 Yards
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The Raiders' rookie wide receiver has surpassed the halfway point to 1,000 receiving yards in six games. He currently stands at 519 yards.
Based on Cooper’s ability to catch passes in traffic and make defenders miss in stride, he should accumulate 1,000 yards with games left to play.
As a rookie, Cooper already produces numbers comparable to the top 20 wideouts across the league in terms of yardage. He’s on the fast track to development and growth as Carr’s primary weapon on offense.
Typically, the Raiders offense clicks fluidly with plays designed to target the rookie wideout in all three wide receiver positions.
Cooper could earn some votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year and become the first Raiders wide receiver to accumulate 1,000-plus receiving yards since Randy Moss (1,005) in 2005.
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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted.
Week 6 statistics and play-by-play analysis provided by NFL.com.
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