{"id":3436,"date":"2016-10-05T21:26:45","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T01:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=3436"},"modified":"2016-10-06T11:33:36","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T15:33:36","slug":"oakland-raiders-learning-new-ways-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/10\/05\/oakland-raiders-learning-new-ways-win\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oakland Raiders are Learning New Ways to Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Oakland Raiders<\/strong> offense is among the best in the NFL. But when they struggled in Week 4, the other units were able to pick up the slack on the way to a victory.<\/p>\n

The Oakland Raiders are Learning New Ways to Win<\/h2>\n

The lasting image of Week 4’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens<\/strong> will undoubtedly be Derek Carr<\/a><\/strong>‘s third touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree<\/a><\/strong>, which give the Raiders\u00a0<\/strong>a 28-27 lead with just over a minute left in the game. The play was the exclamation point of a thrilling final drive, a drive that demonstrated a resilience present in this incarnation of the Raiders that they have lacked in years past. Oakland’s early-season flair for the dramatic has been a point of interest for many, but the team has also shown that it is capable of being more than just cardiac kids.<\/p>\n

The Offense<\/h3>\n
Late game heroics notwithstanding, the Raiders offense was unable to sustain drives on Sunday. \u00a0Seven of their 14 possessions were three-and-outs, yet the team only trailed for 1:24<\/a> of game time, in large part due to their ability to dominate the field position battle. In the first half, the Oakland special teams did most the heavy lifting. Four of Marquette King<\/a><\/strong>‘s five first half punts forced Baltimore to start drives inside their own 20 yard line, and two pinned them inside their own 10. One sequence in particular encapsulated the Raiders special teams success: after King<\/a> landed a punt at the Baltimore five, the Raiders forced a three and out. Rookie Jalen Richard<\/a><\/strong>, who has been a revalation thus far, returned the ensuing punt 47 yards to the Ravens six, and Derek Carr hit Seth Roberts<\/a><\/strong> for a touchdown on the very next play.<\/div>\n

Special Teams<\/h3>\n
The only special teams lapse in the first half came in kick coverage, when Devin Hester<\/a><\/strong> was allowed to break free for a 60 yard return that lead to a Ravens field goal. Other than the one hiccup — at the expense of the greatest return man in history, no less — the unit couldn’t have been better.<\/div>\n

The Defense<\/h3>\n
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The Raider defense also did its part to pick up the slack on a day when the offense struggled.\u00a0In terms of raw statistics, Week 4 was another disappointment. They allowed 412 yards, 25 first downs, and 5.0 yards per carry — numbers that, on the surface, do not indicate improvement. But the unit did succeed in certain areas, particularly in defending the pass. Back-end communication errors have been reduced, and, for the first time this season, the Raiders were able to generate a consistent pass rush.<\/p>\n

Khalil Mack<\/a><\/strong> recorded three hits on Joe Flacco<\/a><\/strong>, including his first sack of the year. Bruce Irvin<\/a><\/strong> set up a Raiders scoring drive with a strip sack of Flacco deep in Ravens territory. Pressure and solid coverage forced Flacco to miss a lot of throws, and he was never able to find a rhythm. On the day, he averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt, a number aided by a YAC-heavy 52 yard touchdown from Steve Smith<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0While there is still room for growth, Sunday\u2019s version of the Oakland defense more closely resembled people\u2019s preseason expectations than the version we saw in weeks one and two.<\/p>\n

Despite Week 4’s poor showing, the Raiders offense is still among the best in the league. The team will be able to rely heavily on Carr and company moving forward, but in the meantime, it is encouraging to see that the Raiders are capable of winning games on the strength of its other units.<\/p>\n

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