Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers: Keys to the Game

October 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) runs with the football against Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe (95) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

4. Give Latavius Murray 20 Carries 

There has been plenty of talk about getting the running game going and getting Latavius Murray more involved in the offense, but there is an important stat that shows why the Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave should be handing the rock to his workhorse back more frequently.

Over the past two seasons, the Oakland Raiders are 3-0 when Latavius Murray is given over 20 carries in a game. A trend that justifies the constant calls to give Murray the ball even as the running game has been flat over the first five games of the year. Murray with just one 100 yard game against the Cleveland Browns this season as the lone standout performance for the rushing attack this season.

During the bye week, there was plenty of talk about improving the run game from the lows of the first five games of the season. With a healthy Murray coming back now is the time to commit to the run, especially in a game in which the Raiders need to control the clock to keep Philip Rivers off of the field and give their pass defense a chance to rest as much as possible in order to stop the Chargers explosive pass attack.

Giving Murray 20 carries seems like a risk given the way the run game has gone this season, but the team’s success when doing so can’t be ignored and it can’t hurt to try to jumpstart the run to see if they can push Murray’s record when given 20+ carries to 4-0 on his career.

Next: Keys to the Game: Push the Tempo