Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins: 3 things we learned

The offense can’t afford to be stagnant

Remember in 2016 when then MVP candidate Derek Carr and the Raiders offense seemed to go full throttle almost every drive and there was a confidence that they could find the end zone no matter the situation? Those days may be long gone, but Carr and the offensive unit still need to channel that same mentality.

For the third straight game the Oakland Raiders marched to the end zone on the very first drive, garnering positive momentum only to see it slip away gradually and then take a deep fall heading into the final 15 minutes of the game. The Raiders cannot come away with a win if the offense does their job for only 3/4 of the game.

When Carr and the offense dominate the time of possession and find themselves in goal-line territory, they need to come away with seven points every time. Through three games we have seen that coming away with a field goal or less is not good enough for this team, it’s a win for the opposing defense and it kills any type of momentum the Raiders offense had to begin with. If the defense holds their own, the offense must hold their end of the bargain.