{"id":1375,"date":"2016-09-12T14:05:53","date_gmt":"2016-09-12T18:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=1375"},"modified":"2016-09-12T14:08:31","modified_gmt":"2016-09-12T18:08:31","slug":"pump-brakes-oakland-raider-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/09\/12\/pump-brakes-oakland-raider-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"Pump the Brakes on the Oakland Raider Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Against the New Orleans Saints<\/strong>, the offense of the Oakland Raiders<\/strong> had a field day. Derek Carr<\/strong><\/a> looked flawless, throwing for well over 300 yards and a touchdown. Second year receiver Amari Cooper<\/a><\/strong> had a field day, catching six passes for 137 yards, and even the Raider rushing attack came to play, rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns as a unit. Other than a couple of silly penalties, the Oakland Raider offense looked fantastic. However, it might be time to pump the brakes.<\/p>\n

Pump the Brakes on the Oakland Raider Offense<\/h2>\n

While the Oakland Raider offense looked phenomenal, they were playing against the Saints. While the Saints offense gave the Raiders the beating of a lifetime, their defense might be the worst in the league. Against the Raiders, the Saints failed to register a single sack, interception, or forced fumble. And it’s easy to see why.<\/p>\n

No Pass Rushers<\/h3>\n

Can you name a single talented pass rusher on the Saints defense? Because it’s not easy. Cameron Jordan<\/a><\/strong> is talented, but he didn’t make much of an impact in the game, registering a single tackle. Outside of Jordan, the Saints were starting the likes of Tyeler Davison<\/a><\/strong>, Nick Fairley<\/a><\/strong>, and Craig Robertson<\/a><\/strong>. The Raiders could sell the jersey that Carr wore in this game in the pro-shop and nobody would know the difference. Carr had all day to throw, and that’s exactly what he did.<\/p>\n

Secondary Depth<\/h3>\n

The best corner on the Saints roster heading into this game against the Raider was Delvin Breaux<\/a><\/strong>. For those who don’t know, Breaux has a great story. He broke his neck in high school, and never played college football. He had to play for semi-pro teams and the Canadian Football League just to earn his shot in the NFL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That’s a fantastic story, but you don’t want that kind of inexperience lining up against Amari Cooper. Additionally, Breaux he had to leave the game in the second quarter with a fibula injury. That meant that New Orleans was stuck with De’Vante Harris<\/a><\/strong>, Ken Crawley<\/a><\/strong>, and P.J. Williams<\/a><\/strong>, who had never taken a regular season snap before Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

For a team with as much talent and potential as the Raiders, they had better\u00a0<\/em>dominate a secondary like that. Wide receivers like Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree<\/a><\/strong> shouldn’t have any trouble at all against young players with no NFL experience.<\/p>\n

Silly Penalties<\/h3>\n

As good as the stats look in hindsight, the officials played a huge role in this game. Without getting into the questionable flags against the Raiders, it’s worth noting that the referees helped Oakland late in the game as well.<\/p>\n

The Raiders got the ball, down by seven, with six minutes left in the game. Latavius Murray<\/a><\/strong> and Jalen Richard<\/strong><\/a> had a couple of good runs, and Derek Carr connected with Michael Crabtree on an unreal pass,\u00a0but the Saints defense also helped. On a third and four, P.J. Williams was called for a hold on Amari Cooper, extending the drive. Later on, linebacker Craig Robertson was called for pass interference after face-guarding Cooper, erasing what would have been a turnover on downs. Two plays later, Carr found\u00a0Roberts for a ten yard score that would set up the game-winning two point conversion.<\/p>\n

As clutch as Derek Carr and the Raider offense was, the Saints defense did their part to keep the drive alive. Ultimately, as bad as the Saints are, the Raiders\u00a0should\u00a0<\/em>be able to move the ball at will. Struggling against the Saints defense is more of an indictment than dominating them is a sign of things to come. The Oakland Raider offense could still easily be among one of the best in the league, but we should wait until they dominate a respectable defense before we start trading for Raiders in fantasy.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n