Coming out with a win against possibly the greatest quarterback of all time on the road, in the first week of the season is impressive. Coming out with a win against Drew Brees in a fourth quarter comeback is even more impressive. But that is exactly what quarterback Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders did in the first week of the 2016 NFL season.
Oakland Raiders Week One Takeaways
Defense
One of the biggest problems last season for the Oakland Raiders was defending the pass. It didn’t look any better. The Raiders were playing a quarterback that after three more full seasons, could have the most passing yards, completions, and touchdowns in NFL history. However, this is not the way to start the season.
Raider Nation has been excited to see this revamped secondary that was supposed to be much better with the signings of free safety Reggie Nelson and corner Sean Smith. But when the game came to an end, Nelson was unimpressive, Smith had been benched for DJ Hayden, and Drew Brees ended up with 423 yards and four touchdowns.
Smith seemed to lack any type of competitiveness and was burned by New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a 98 yard touchdown. Earlier he allowed a big play from receiver Willie Snead as well. Smith is a 6’3” 220 pound corner that is known for his physicality. However, that wasn’t on display.
Nelson was not able to recognize where the ball was going and didn’t make a single memorable play. All day, Brees took advantage of linebackers Bruce Irvin and Malcolm Smith dropping into coverage, matched up against wide receivers. The question is, why were there no adjustments made? Playing with an extra defensive back might have helped, but the best move the Raiders could have made would be playing in a zone. The Raiders pass rush was able to get pressure on Brees for most of the game, however, the only sack came in the first drive of the game. The defensive front sometimes just needed one extra second to get to Brees, and couldn’t make it happen.
There is no need to overreact right now. Smith and Nelson didn’t lose their talent all of a sudden. They didn’t allow Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to carve them up like this. It was Drew Brees! This warrants cause for concern, but it is not the end of the world.
The Run Game
How about that running game? Last year, running back Latavius Murray was the leading rusher in every single game. That streak ended. In seven of those games, he rushed for less than 50 yards. When the starter is having have a bad game, it’s nice to have a change of pace back to give the starter a rest. A big topic this offseason was whether the Raiders running game would be improved.
Against the Saints, undrafted rookie Jalen Richard ended up leading the Raiders in rushing after showcasing some great vision, elusiveness and speed with a 75 yard touchdown run, and finishing the game with 84 yards total. Richard’s run started with an impressive hole opened up by the offensive line, and he finished it with burst and top speed.
Murray was okay. He still runs high, and that allows him to get stuffed easily, but he was able to find some room to run and have a few impressive runs, including a powerful, bulldozing six yard touchdown run in the first quarter. DeAndre Washington was given a few carries but didn’t get much running room. He did show a little playmaking with a ten yard catch. The running game definitely looked improved, and it looks like Murray has some help this year, and maybe even some competition.
The Offensive Line
The Raiders best free agent signing this offseason was getting guard/tackle Kelechi Osemele to agree to a five year $58.5 million contract, and it is already starting to pay off. That versatility is key for the Raiders and was on full display.
Starting right tackle Menelik Watson left the game in the first half after getting bent backwards in an awkward position, and then his backup Matt McCants hurt his leg in the 3rd quarter. With offensive linemen Austin Howard and Vadal Alexander inactive, the Raiders were forced to shuffle that offensive line and moved left tackle Donald Penn to his old position of right tackle, kick out Osemele from guard to left tackle, and inserted Joe Feliciano into the left guard slot.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Oakland Raiders offensive line as the second best heading into the 2016 season, and that line showed that PFF knows what they are talking about. Even with the shuffling of the line, the Raiders were still able to keep Derek Carr mostly unscathed and open up holes for the running game.
Center Rodney Hudson and Feliciano made great blocks on two Saints linebackers that prevented them from stopping running back Jalen Richard from bursting through for that game changing touchdown run. An NFL team can go a long way with a great offensive line, and even though the injuries hurt, this was a great showing by the line.
