Let the haters assemble.
The Oakland Raiders have won both of their prime-time games, and now sit at 8-2 with sole control of the AFC West. This young, talented team has been led by third year quarterback Derek Carr who has taken a big step this season and thrust himself into the MVP conversation.
There were some calls made by the refs on Monday that were questionable on both teams. Some will argue that certain calls decided the outcome of that game. That isn’t good football talk and should be ignored. There are more important aspects than the reffing of the game that should be discussed.
Oakland Raiders Week 11 Takeaways
No Running Game, No Problem
After pounding the Denver Broncos for 218 yards, three touchdowns and a 5.1 yards per carry average on Sunday Night Football last week, the Oakland Raiders found no running lanes playing the Houston Texans. The Raiders’ running back committee of Latavius Murray, Jalen Richard, and DeAndre Washington were swallowed up over and over by Jadeveon Clowney and the linebackers behind him. With a non existent running game, the backfield had to find other ways to be useful, otherwise it would have been even more difficult to win this game. Murray, Richard and fullback Jamize Olawale were all active as receivers, combining for 11 catches on 11 targets for 199 yards and two touchdowns.
All three backs made a critical positive play for the Raiders. After the Texans scored on the opening drive with a field goal, the Raiders got their first chance, and marched down the field. They capped the drive with a 29 yard catch and run by Richard for a touchdown, right down the middle of the field.
Murray and Olawale made big plays in the clutch. Derek Carr found Murray for a dump off which he then created into a 39 yard play. The very next play, Carr hooked up with wide receiver Amari Cooper for the game winning 35 yard score. In the previous drive, Olawale slipped out and towards the right sideline and found an incredible amount of space to work with. The play would not have worked without the great pass protection the offensive line gave Derek Carr, but that is nothing new. The offensive line has been excellent in pass protection all year. Olawale caught the pass from Carr, and proceeded to make one man miss and then had nobody in his way to the end zone. That 75 yard score was a big momentum shift, and tied the game up at 20.
The backfield couldn’t find any room to run, but the coaches were still able to keep the run game involved, drawing up great looking plays that gave them space to work with after short dump offs. Great job by both the players and coaches on keeping those playmakers involved when a big part of their game was non-existent.
That Defense is Causing Unnecessary Stress
At one point, Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler was playing his best football of the season. He was making great throws to his tight end and wide receivers down the middle of the field and the sidelines. The receivers were making great catches, but at the same time Brock was making the right reads. A big reason he was doing so well was the lack of pass rushing pressure. Khalil Mack was doing his part, sacking Osweiler at the end of the first half and hounding him for the most part with seven quarterback pressures. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Brock was pressured 52.4% of the time. If that number is accurate, the pressure wasn’t very significant. Brock looked comfortable in the pocket for the most part and made some solid throws throughout the game.
However, when the Texans needed to be stopped, the Raiders defense did get the job done. On consecutive critical drives, the Raiders stopped Houston and forced them to turn the ball over on downs, and then forced an inexplicable punt with less than two minutes remaining. Mack was all over the field, rushing the passer and stuffing the run when it came to his side. The Raiders can look forward to the return of Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith. Those two provide strong pass rushing and will either find desirable matchups for themselves, or their presence will give Mack and Bruce Irvin great looks. It will be very difficult to keep all four of them from getting to the quarterback on a consistent basis. The Raiders defense have been playing better and making stops when they really need to, but this defense might get a lot scarier, very soon.
What More Can We Say?
What else can be said about Derek Carr? This is more of just a reminder of how great he has been playing for the Oakland Raiders. He is so valuable to this team. When looking at the most indispensable quarterbacks, Derek Carr is high up on that list. Andrew Luck still looks like the most important player on any team in the league, but Carr is one of the most responsible for his team’s success.
Carr has an elite offensive line and a number of playmakers at wide receiver and in the backfield that help him do his job well. He has been playing stellar football for the Raiders and is the biggest reason for their 8-2 record. As much as there is to like about the Raiders, a lot of it isn’t consistent. Latavius Murray has led a powerful running attack behind that monster offensive line, but like this game against the Texans, it can disappear. The defense has had great moments, but they let Brock Osweiler pick apart the secondary for most of the night. The most consistent player and element for the Raiders has been Derek Carr and the passing game.
Derek Carr threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns and had only one blemish. The ill-advised prayer throw that was intercepted easily was a pass that Carr would like back for sure. He takes chances that shouldn’t be taken sometimes, but for the most part Carr makes the right decisions. He is now a member of the 10,000 yard passing club after the Texans game. He has led the Raiders to an AFC leading 8-2 record. The Raiders just keep winning, and with a tougher schedule coming up, Carr has to keep playing at a high level.
