Las Vegas Raiders: 5 musts for the offense to succeed in 2021

Las Vegas Raiders: 5 musts for the offense to succeed in 2021

5. Henry Ruggs must live up to his potential

All of the news on the Henry Ruggs front this off-season has been incredibly positive. There were reports a few months ago that he was bulking up and adding some muscle to his lean frame, and those reports were confirmed in training camp as he showed up looking bigger, stronger, faster than ever to compete in what Ruggs called “a man’s game”.

In addition to looking physically stronger, Ruggs has reportedly been showing improvement on the mental side of his game as well. Quarterback Derek Carr recently praised Ruggs for his route running and his overall approach to camp. The pair has connected on several long touchdowns so far, and we will be hoping to see their training camp connection translate to the games.

Last season, the majority of the impact Ruggs made on the offense was easy to quantify from a team perspective but it was not reflected in his stat sheet. A wicked combination of injuries and COVID protocols kept him from being on the field consistently but when he was out there, the offense was markedly better.

If this offense is going to improve on last season’s numbers and become a dominant unit, the Carr-to-Ruggs connection will have to be on point. The Raiders made him the first receiver selected and he showed flashes of his potential in his rookie season, but he needs to live up to that potential for this offense to make the leap from good to great.