Oakland Raiders Offense Earns Respect Against Stingy Jets Defense

So many words describe an Oakland Raiders team earning respect in 2015.

Of course, we’re not referring to the unflattering descriptions from years past. It’s a more serious conversation surrounding the team as it stands at 4-3.

Competitive. Spirited. Physical. Playoff team?

A club coming from an 0-10 start in the previous year would be told to pump the brakes on postseason talk, but it’s time to put the Raiders in contention. The AFC West division doesn’t have the stiffest competition. 

Oakland beat down the San Diego Chargers in Week 7. The Kansas City Chiefs will grind out the season without their top offensive weapon in running back Jamaal Charles. The Raiders played the Denver Broncos closely in a loss, but skepticism surrounds Peyton Manning's arm durability in December.

On Sunday, Oakland trounced a playoff-contending New York Jets team. Now, they’re headed into another contest with Wild Card implications against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won’t have running back Le’Veon Bell carrying and catching the ball out of the backfield, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Turn On The Jets writer Joe Caporoso provided the current standings for the AFC Wildcard spots via Twitter:

"

AFC Wild Card 1. Raiders: 4-3 2. Jets: 4-3 3. Steelers 4-4. 4. Bills 3-4 5. Dolphins: 3-4 6. Chiefs: 3-5

— Joe Caporoso (@TurnOnTheJets) November 2, 2015"

Now, let’s talk more about why the Raiders should be in playoff conversations.

Commitment to Excellence

Every week, quarterback Derek Carr’s improvement has become the consistent narrative for the offense, but in what areas does he excel?

According to ESPN’s Bill Williamson, Carr can take the heat in the pocket. He can withstand an aggressive front and still deliver accurate strikes to his receivers: 

The Jets threw everything and the kitchen sink at Carr to no avail. No sign of anxiety or the urge to flee the pocket with pressure bearing down on his personal space.

Secondly, the Raiders boast a solid 4-0 record when Carr reaches a certain threshold as a quarterback, per CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair:

Clearly, Carr drives this silver and black bus loaded with explosive skill players. As Carr continues to use a variety of his offensive weapons, he alleviates the pressure on rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper and makes the offense much more difficult to defend.

When comparing the Raiders quarterback to the three signal-callers selected before him in the 2014 draft, it’s clear he’s leading the class right now:

Player	Overall Pick	Passing Yds	Touchdowns	Interceptions
Blake Bortles	No. 3	1812	15	8
Johnny Manziel	No. 22	393	3	1
Teddy Bridgewater	No. 32	1713	7	6
Derek Carr	No. 36	1793	15	3

Silver Lining 

On Sunday, running back Latavius Murray carried the load for the backfield without much help on the ground. The Raiders still need a push from a No. 2 running back in terms of running the ball to keep their starter fresh. Murray ran for 113 yards, but the rest of the team accumulated a net of five rushing yards.

However, a short pass becomes just as effective as a solid run on the outside, especially when throwing a parallel pass to running back Taiwan Jones:

Jones evaded four tackles en route to a 59-yard touchdown reception. Aside from that play, the running back returned four kicks for 101 yards and carried the ball twice for five yards. In totality, he makes the Raiders offense dangerous due to his ability to make moves in space.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave may explore more creative ways of putting Jones in position to make splash plays as a ball-carrier and receiver. 

Oakland’s coaching staff deserves credit for transitioning him back to running back from the cornerback position. Jones decided to pay homage to the man who brought him to the Black Hole, per Associated Press writer Josh Dubow:

Black Cloud

There isn’t much negative to discuss from Sunday besides allowing ex-Raider wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins catch six passes for 41 yards in his personal revenge game. He tried to make a statement, but ultimately lost the battle. 

In all seriousness, defensive back T.J. Carrie had to peel himself off the ground a few times after a play on defense. He didn’t get hurt on special teams, but he returned four punts for six yards. 

That minimal return doesn’t justify putting the top cornerback in more situations to get hit when he’s already nursing a shoulder injury that forces him to miss portions of practice.

Hopefully, return specialist Walt Powell returns to field to finally bump Carrie off special teams duties for good. 

The Raiders also struggled to defend a big, physical specimen in Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (6’4”, 230 pounds).

Fortunately, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (6’5”, 237 pounds) stands as the the only physically imposing receiver left on the schedule.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (6’4”, 211 pounds) poses a threat in height, but he's susceptible to physicality, specifically disruption in his routes. Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (6’3”, 229 pounds) fits the mold, but he didn’t provide much in Week 5 (five catches, 55 yards and two drops) against the Raiders secondary.

David Amerson could develop into the rough and tough cornerback the Raiders hoped Keith McGill would become heading into the season. Amerson's athleticism and size may serve as the answer to slow down larger wide receivers. We already know what he can do to scrambling quarterbacks, courtesy of Preps.com's tweet:

Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for news, updates and intriguing discussion about the Oakland Raiders.

All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted. 

Week 8 play by play provided by: NFL.com.