Oakland Raiders High-Powered Offense Fails to Overcome Glaring Roster Holes
At midseason, the Oakland Raiders list as a .500 team, which resembles the team’s play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the Raiders offense didn’t put together a flawless performance, it kept hope alive for a victory. On the opposite side, the defense never found its way in any aspect of the game.
Head coach Jack Del Rio made a clear-cut statement about his thoughts on the outcome to local reporters:
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It’s a very simple statement but true to the core, unless the defense loses contain on multiple fronts. The Raiders defense dropped to historically poor levels, surrendering an absurd amount of yardage to two players, per Steelers Media Manager Dom Rinelli:
When you combine a record-breaking poor performance on defense with three costly second-half turnovers, it's a recipe for a loss even with 35 points on the scoreboard.
Quarterback Derek Carr and the offense will win a lot more games for the Raiders, but they cannot outscore every opponent without help defensively.
Commitment to Excellence
The Steelers defense doesn’t stack up to past units, but the front seven still garners respect with the ability to sack the quarterback. Pittsburgh entered and left this contest with 22 sacks for the season.
The Raiders offensive line continues to serve as a fort protecting the budding jewel of the offense. Carr doesn’t seem hurried in his throws because there’s ample time for delivery in the pocket. All five guys up front deserve much credit for playing in sync as a coordinated unit and neutralizing the opposition in the trenches.
When running back Latavius Murray wasn’t slipping, sliding or fumbling the ball, he ran through wide lanes for 96 yards on the ground.
The excellence up front keeps the passing and rushing attack viable as the Raiders hold out for reinforcements in the secondary.
Silver Lining
The Raiders offense kept the team alive, but also turned the ball over in critical moments in the game. Raider Nation may not want to hear this, but this is exactly what happens to upstart young teams with promise. The come up won’t happen overnight, and the ascension won't resemble a perfect uprising.
After 23 games, it's clear Murray must learn to protect his body and the ball when he’s darting through defenders for extra yards. Keep in mind, a season-ending injury kept Murray off the field in his rookie year, per ESPN's Bill Williamson. In 2014, he suffered a concussion against the Kansas City Chiefs in his first 100-yard performance. Earlier in the season, he dealt with a shoulder injury.
He’ll likely modify his run style to bolster ball security and preserve his body. The Raiders absolutely need him in the backfield as a dynamic ball-carrier.
Murray’s absence and a two-touchdown deficit led to heavy emphasis on Carr’s arm. He’s displayed reliability with the football, but every so often he’s going to throw an interception like every other quarterback.
He’s a second-year signal-caller that’s going to make mistakes. There’s no need to discourage his aggressiveness after a poor throw. An arm-shy quarterback doesn’t produce many game-winning drives.
Obviously, the Raiders need a much better decision from Carr in the red zone, but careless isn’t what he is as a signal-caller. It’s just one of those throws he’d like to have back.
He marched the offense down the field on the following drive to tie the game, which exhibits the type of rebound confidence a winning quarterback needs for success in the league.
He made a costly mistake, but he’s thrown 11 touchdowns and only one interception following the Raiders' bye week. He’ll be fine going forward behind that offensive line.
Black Cloud
This week’s black cloud hovers over the entire defense.
On Sunday, the Raiders allowed the most rushing yards in a game (170) this season.
Backup running back DeAngelo Williams isn’t Le’Veon Bell in the backfield, but the Steelers' ground attack didn’t miss a beat with the 32-year-old veteran taking the reins. He ran and caught effectively out of the backfield for 225 total yards from scrimmage.
That’s possibly an aberration for the second-ranked run defense coming into Week 9.
However, the disappearance of edge-rushers Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith during long stretches continues as a trend. Yes, pocket pressure poses a threat, but against quarterbacks with mobility or elusiveness, sacks become priority.
Mack stuffed an early run, and Smith sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger once. These two players projected as a fierce duo up front that would closely rival the pass-rushing duos in the AFC West. They’re only slightly frightening in their production as quarterback hunters.
Many hoped Mack would break out as a sack leader, and Smith would gain traction playing within a stout front seven. Midway through the season, Raiders fans still await a dominant performance from both pass-rushers simultaneously.
Finally, we all watched the pass defense struggle mightily. Cornerback D.J. Hayden’s regression presented the most disappointment. Just when you thought Hayden would survive on the outside, he’s torched by an elite wide receiver. SilverandBlackPride.com writer Levi Damien and San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur reveal Hayden's missteps in coverage and tackling:
The third-year cornerback benefits most from playing in the slot. That truth speaks to Carrie’s increased value as the Raiders’ best man-to-man defender on the perimeter.
The Raiders wanted to give Hayden every possible chance to succeed in Oakland, but the glaring roster deficiency in the secondary became clear as a sunny summer sky in California. Hayden is on pace to surrender at least 10 touchdowns in his third year.
In the offseason, general manager Reggie McKenzie must fortify the secondary with a high draft pick on a cornerback or open the checkbook for an established perimeter defender. An added resistance on the back end in terms of a starter or depth behind the safeties helps the team combat injuries and prepare for elite competition.
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.
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