5 takeaways from Oakland Raiders’ win over Miami Dolphins
By John Buhler
The offensive line was great in pass pro, but not so much in running block
Oakland still has one of the best offensive lines in football. It’s a very talented group with center Rodney Hudson leading the way this season. Left guard Kelechi Osemele was dominant on Sunday night versus a formidable Dolphins defensive front. Even a banged-up Gabe Jackson played well for the Silver and Black in Week 9.
That being said, it has become apparent that Oakland is an elite offensive line in terms of pass protection, but below par when it comes to run blocking. A lot of this has to do with the team switching from a man to zone blocking scheme. It hasn’t been a wise decision that was made by new offensive coordinator Todd Downing.
Against the Dolphins, Oakland ran the ball 27 times for 84 yards and two Marshawn Lynch touchdowns. That’s only 3.1 yards per carry. Had the Raiders played a better opponent, it’s almost certain that Oakland would be below three yards per carry on the night. Not sure this struggle in the ground game is going to change in the second half of the season.
Fortunately, Oakland does know what it’s doing in pass protection. Quarterback Derek Carr completed 21 of 30 passes for 300 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was only sacked once on the night. Oakland’s offense clearly goes as the passing game goes. The running game will inevitably hold this team back in the second half.