Preview and Prediction: Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans
By Austin Gayle
Both Offensive Lines Will Keep Quarterbacks Upright
Raiders third-year quarterback Derek Carr has had a great deal of success to start the season due in large part to the play of his front five in the trenches.
Heading into their Week 3 contest against Tennessee, the Raiders offensive line has allowed just one sack on the season, per NFL.com.
According to PFF.com, Raiders left tackle Donald Penn has earned the third-best grade (85.9) among all eligible tackles in the NFL, and former Baltimore Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele sits at No. 5 among all eligible guards.
Similarly to Oakland, Tennessee has some studs along their offensive line in second-year guard Quinton Spain and 2016 first-round pick Jack Conklin, as the two have also been highlighted as some of PFF’s top performers.
Coming off a four-sack performance against Lions, the Titans’ front four is riding some momentum into their game against Oakland, but it won’t be as easy to have parties in the backfield against the Raiders’ offensive line in comparison to the line they faced in Detroit.
On the other hand, the Raiders won’t even have momentum on their side as they prepare to take on the Titans’ offensive line, as All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack and company have had no luck rushing the quarterback, totaling just two sacks on the season.
With that being said, both defenses will face an uphill battle in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback, which in turn, should have both Carr and Mariota hitting on all cylinders in the passing game.