The Raiders offense *can* be special
Every opening drive so far this season has resulted in points. In the first half, the Raiders have outscored their opponents 35-17, showing that they are more than capable of being a good team. The coaching staff has done a great job of identifying favorable match-ups and exploiting them, especially early on.
In Week 1, it was tight end Jared Cook and in Week 2 it was receiver Amari Cooper. Both were called upon and both answered. This week in Miami it was Jordy Nelson that targeted and he responded with a huge game, recording six receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown.
The *can* refers to the fact that the team continues to stumble over themselves when they are in the red zone. Twice, the Raiders were on the two-yard line or closer, and those two trips resulted in only three points. It really should not be that hard, after all, Marshawn Lynch is still on the team. Not going to him on the goal line is absurd, and had the team given him the rock in those positions, I would be willing to bet that they would have won the game.
When the Raiders were driving late and only down four, Carr made a poor decision and threw and interception in the end zone. Had he led the team down to a touchdown, the narrative would be totally different. If the Raiders can stop shooting themselves in the foot and figure out how to score in the fourth quarter, they could have one of the best offenses in the league.