Oakland Raiders: 3 reasons for optimism after Week 1
By Nick Ellis
The Pass Protection
There have been plenty of questions surrounding the offensive line that the Raiders have built, especially surrounding tackles Kolton Miller and Trent Brown.
Kolton Miller was a first round pick a year ago who gave up more sacks than anyone in the NFL. He played solid at the start of last season, but a knee injury held him back a lot.
Trent Brown was given the highest offensive lineman contract in NFL history, and many people laughed at the Raiders for doing that, especially considering he would be lined up at right tackle.
Miller, Brown, and the rest of the offensive line silenced all the critics in week 1, as they completely shut down the dangerous Broncos pass rush. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb did not touch Derek Carr a single time, as the only time Carr even hit the ground in week 1 was after sliding on a run where he gained yards.
If this offensive line can protect Carr against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL, imagine what they will do against the rest of the NFL. Oh yeah, and the Raiders did this all without Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson.