Oakland Raiders now ready for the tough part of schedule

Sep 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders right tackle Austin Howard (77) defends against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil (58) at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Added help on offense

Right tackle Austin Howard was one of the best right tackles in the NFL back in 2013. But when the Raiders got him in the 2014 offseason, they decided to move him inside to right guard. And he was not very good there, especially in the beginning of the season but got better toward the end of the season.

But that wasn’t good enough so they moved Howard back to right tackle where Menelik Watson was the starter. I wondered why because Watson wasn’t playing well at all leading up to his injury. With Watson out for the rest of the season, it wasn’t pretty for Howard in his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But since then, he has locked down at right tackle, playing at a very high level for the Silver and Black. He’s even hemmed up the likes of Elvis Dumervil to help Carr get sacked only three times in 123 attempts. This bodes well for the Raiders in the tough part of their schedule, especially against the Denver Broncos, who bring guys off of both edges.

Next: More help on defense