Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: 5 things we learned

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: 5 things we learned

Offensive line depth has been vital

Coming into the season the Raiders were projected to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and the unit was paid like it. They boasted three Pro Bowl starters in Trent Brown, Rodney Hudson, and Trent Brown and a left tackle that was coming in to his own and may be on his way to a Pro Bowl in Kolton Miller.

By the time kickoff rolled around in Week 9 however, the Raiders were down to just two preseason starters on the offensive line and have had to shuffle players at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle all season long. Thankfully the Raiders made sure to bolster their offensive line depth in the offseason through the draft and free agency by adding John Simpson and Sam Young who have both played big roles for the team so far.

Brandon Parker and Denzelle Good have both been on the Raiders for a few years now and are both coming into their own as key pieces for this bruised and battered offensive line. Where the unit has excelled is in the running game as the Raiders are in the top 10 in rush offense and have lead the way for a likely 1,100 yard season for Josh Jacobs.

On Sunday they pounded the Chargers defense to the tune of 6.15 yards per carry, 160 yards, and two touchdowns on the ground. Devontae Booker and Josh Jacobs had plenty of room to run and the line even held up well in pass protection after a shaky first half.

Usually teams struggle when they don’t have consistency in who is lining up at the five offensive line positions but this year the big boys up front have done a masterful job even with a rotating cast at three of the five positions. Offensive line coach Tom Cable deserves plenty of credit as well for their level of play but at the end of the day it’s on the players to execute and they have done just that.