5 reasons Oakland Raiders can beat Dallas Cowboys in Week 15
By John Buhler
Oakland will almost certainly run the ball more with Marshawn Lynch.
One of the things that the Raiders will have going for them in this primetime ball game with the Cowboys is a Marshawn Lynch that can’t wait to go Beast Mode. He’s playing in front of the home crowd. Lynch only had seven carries and eight total touches last week versus the Chiefs. Expect that to change on Sunday.
Lynch has been rushing the ball at a Pro Bowl level since returning from his one-game suspension in Week 9. Though he’s not a perennial 100-yard rusher, his punishing running style has opened up opportunities for Carr in the passing game and has given the Raiders a better grip on time of possession.
To be at his most effective, Lynch will need at least 15 or so carries. He is very much a volume runner, meaning he does his best late in the ball game once he wears out the opposing defense’s front-seven. Lynch has proven in 2017 that he’s not also-ran. He just needs more carries to be an effective runner.
With the way that the Raiders’ offense looked last week, there is no excuse for Downing to not feature Lynch in the offensive game plan. Carr has not shown us this season that he can carry this team on his back. He’ll need to lean on Lynch to get the job done versus the Cowboys. Here’s to Beast Mode getting close to 100 yards on Sunday night!