The offensive line is in shambles
Last week against the Colts the offensive line played their best game of the season, not allowing a single sack on Derek Carr which resulted in his best offensive performance of the season. Against the 49ers the Raiders o-line performed on the opposite end of the spectrum, allowing a total of eight sacks with seven of those directed towards Derek Carr.
Brandon Parker struggled mightily, and looked completely like a rookie amongst veterans. Kolton Miller was unable to finish the game with a knee injury, and though Kelechi Osemele was back in action, Miller’s injury forced rotations including seeing Osemele play at left guard for a bit.
Two seasons ago the offensive line was amongst the best in the league, the Raiders had built their offense from the inside out. Now we’re seeing an offensive line that has proven to be inconsistent night in and night out, and it ultimately affects the potential of the offense. With a defense that can’t be relied upon it’s on Derek Carr and this offense to spearhead a win, and to do so the line needs to protect on a consistent basis. They failed to do that on Thursday, and a blowout was the consequence.