The Raiders are 2-2, having lost two in a row to teams they arguably expected to beat. The conspiracy theorists and hot-takers are out in force. So, let\u2019s ask some serious questions – should the Oakland Raiders panic?<\/p>\n
In a word: no.<\/p>\n
There are numerous perceived problems, some of which do have some merit, some of which are just nonsense. Let\u2019s break them down one-by-one.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve heard this one by now – the offensive line, offended that Derek Carr<\/a><\/strong> didn\u2019t kneel with the team during the national anthem in Washington, didn\u2019t play hard for him.<\/p>\n Rubbish. Pro Football Focus has the Raiders as the league\u2019s best pass blocking offensive line. The fewest pressures given up in the league through four games. Carr is playing the majority of snaps from a clean pocket.<\/p>\n Many fans are saying that E.J. Manuel<\/strong> isn\u2019t good enough. Some are clamoring for the Raiders to sign Colin Kaepernick<\/a><\/strong>. Whilst personally I think Kaepernick would look great in Silver and Black, this is a foolish idea. No new back up quarterback would have time to learn the playbook. Todd Downing<\/strong> would have to significantly reduce the plays that they ran, making the offense vanilla.<\/p>\n Say what you like about E.J. Manuel, but the guy was a first round pick who\u2019s started games in the NFL. He looked good against Denver before the interception. With Jamize Olawale<\/a><\/strong> in at full back chipping Von Miller<\/a><\/strong> every down, Manuel had time to find his targets. Yes, it didn\u2019t end well, but that\u2019s not just on Manuel.<\/p>\n Bill Musgrave<\/a>\u2019s<\/strong> inherent conservatism is one of the main reasons the Raiders were in so many close games last year. Once they had a lead of any time, Musgrave almost stopped playing.\u00a0The three-and-outs when the Raiders had a seven point lead were innumerable and costly. Short run, short run, screen pass, punt seemed to be Musgrave\u2019s mantra whenever the Raiders were ahead.<\/p>\n Downing is different. Yes, he\u2019s a first-time offensive coordinator, and yes there is a lot he still has to learn. But the Raiders beat the Tennessee Titans <\/a>and the New York Jets <\/a>easily because Downing, not Musgrave, was the offensive coordinator. He went for the throat, and both times it worked. It was encouraging to see how Downing tweaked the offense slightly once Manuel came into the game last week. There\u2019s more left to be desired from Downing, including more power running, but there\u2019s really no need to replace him.<\/p>\n The Raiders are 2-2. That\u2019s okay. It\u2019s not great, but it\u2019s not bad. The game against Washington was poor, but outside of that, things have been okay. The defense has arguably played above expectations. Karl Joseph<\/a><\/strong> in particular has shown a big step up, and Gareon Conley<\/a><\/strong> has looked fantastic when he\u2019s been fit enough to play. The pass rush against the Denver Broncos<\/a> looked positively dangerous.<\/p>\n And the offense? Do not forget, the Raiders were a dropped catch away from a touchdown towards the end of the Denver game. If Jared Cook<\/a><\/strong> makes either catch in the endzone the Raiders are just two points behind. That would have changed the fundamental nature of the final drive. Without the need to push for a touchdown, shorter passes would have allowed the Raiders to move into field goal range for a game-winning kick.<\/p>\n Yes, the running game has been poor the last two weeks. Yes, Marshawn Lynch<\/a><\/strong> has not looked like the Beast Mode of old. But there\u2019s no reason to believe that this can\u2019t change. For the last two games, the offense hasn\u2019t quite clicked. But there\u2019s no reason to believe it won\u2019t click again.<\/p>\n Amari Cooper<\/a><\/strong> drops too many catchable balls. That\u2019s true. Does that make him a bust? Not at all. Cooper runs crisp routes with power, can highpoint balls beautifully and can run after the catch with agility and dexterity.<\/p>\n Yes, the drops are an issue right now. And yes, he\u2019s not in the same category as Julio Jones<\/a><\/strong>. But who is? The very worst you can say about Cooper is that he\u2019s a very very good wide receiver two across from Michael Crabtree<\/a><\/strong>. That might not get him the huge contract when his rookie deal expires, but it\u2019s good enough to be a productive part of this team. And if he can cure the dropsies and deal with being double-teamed a little better, there\u2019s still a very good chance he\u2019ll be one of the elites.<\/p>\n If there was one take that might have some merit, it would be this. Perhaps those opening two wins came too easy. Lynch dancing like no-one was watching created a party vibe that\u2019s been sadly missing for too long in Oakland. Maybe the team bought into that a little too much.<\/p>\n The wide outs, full of playmakers, couldn\u2019t be stopped. The quarterback, briefly the highest paid player in the NFL, was a superstar. The running back, playing for his home town team. Maybe they all bought into the narrative a little too much.<\/p>\n Well, not any more. This group has been humbled against a divisional opponent. Jack Del Rio<\/a><\/strong> said in his press conference this week, \u201cWe\u2019ve got a good group, we\u2019re gonna get it right, and it needs to get right now\u201d.<\/p>\n He was clear and determined. I wouldn\u2019t want to be the Baltimore Ravens<\/a> come Sunday evening.<\/p>\n Main Image:<\/p>\nThe Raiders Need a New Back Up Quarterback<\/h3>\n
Fire Todd Downing and Bring Back Bill Musgrave<\/h3>\n
The Season Is Over<\/h3>\n
Amari Cooper is a Bust<\/h3>\n
The Raiders Believed Their Own Hype<\/h3>\n