Oakland Raiders offensive line dominant in London win (Video)
By Daniel Davis
The Oakland Raiders made some big changes along their offensive line this offseason, and through five games, they are paying off big time.
The past few weeks, the Oakland Raiders offense has sputtered in some games ,and excelled in others. The inconsistent play has led the team to a 2-2 start, with losses against the division rival Kansas City Chiefs and the stout Minnesota Vikings.
In both games, the offensive line made many mistakes, and allowed too many pressures on quarterback Derek Carr.
On Sunday, the Raiders and their revamped offensive line went up against one of the better defensive fronts in all of football, and downright dominated. Led by star Khalil Mack, the Chicago Bears were supposed to dominate up front, but it was the other way around, as the line helped rookie running back Josh Jacobs to his first 100-yard game of his career.
In addition, Jacobs ran for two touchdowns, including the game-winner with under two minutes left in the game.
The first touchdown of the game was a run up the middle by Jacobs, where the offensive line pushed the defense back, and fullback Alec Ingold took Mack out of the run with a cut block opening up the hole for the touchdown run.
During the Raiders second rushing touchdown of the game, the offensive line once again proved how strong it was. After an interception, the Raiders took advantage of the field position and handed the ball off to DeAndre Washington for the second rushing touchdown in the game.
The offensive line, once again, pushed the defensive line of the Bears into the endzone and it was a simple run for Washington to make.
Even on the final touchdown of the game, the line, once again, helped Jacobs leapfrog the rookie into the endzone.
The offensive line stood strong against one of the best front 7’s in the NFL this week, fairing better than they did in Minnesota. It was a solid team victory, as the Raiders were dealing with plenty of inactives, as guys like Clelin Ferrell and Tyrell Williams were not ready to go after missing practice all week.
Every win in the NFL is a good one, but heading into the bye week sitting at 3-2, the Raiders have actually played their way into the playoff picture. With the Chiefs losing to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, they sit only one game back in the AFC West, and look like a legitimate playoff contender during a rough stretch of the schedule.