Buy or Sell: Oakland Raiders vs. Carolina Panthers
By Austin Gayle
Raiders Can Have Deep Postseason Run Without a Strong Ground Game
Sell.
For the second consecutive week, Oakland struggled to get anything going on the ground, as their once dominant, bruising rushing attack looked much more like a one-sided pillow fight, and the Raiders didn’t even have the top bunk.
Raiders lead back Latavius Murray had some success in short yardage situations late in the game, but he finished the contest with just 45 yards on 19 carries (2.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
With fellow Raiders running back DeAndre Washington missing the game as a healthy scratch, Oakland’s Jalen Richard filled in as the primary backup, and even he couldn’t provide a spark on the ground.
Richard carried the ball seven times for 23 yards.
With opposing defenses making a clear effort to attack the Raiders’ offensive line in the run game, Oakland’s offense has suffered at times, and though Carr and company are capable of getting the job done solely through the air, having a one-dimensional offense will cost the Raiders in the postseason.
In Oakland’s dominant offensive performance against the Denver Broncos earlier this season, Murray eclipsed 100 yards rushing and added three touchdowns to his stat line, and his teammates followed suit, pushing the Raiders’ rushing total to a season-high 218 yards.
If Oakland hopes to have success against some of the elite run defenses in the AFC beyond the regular season, they must look to make the necessary adjustments to get the “Tay Train” back on track.
