Raiders: 3 Keys to victory against the Chargers in Week 18
By Alex Perl
Raiders: 3 Keys to victory against the Chargers in Week 18
Zay Jones
It would seem obvious to call out the guy who was the best offensive performer on Sunday to be a key to victory in this contest. But Zay Jones is rising to new heights in this offense.
Hunter Renfrow has been the best receiver throughout the season in this Raiders offense, but most of this was because the supporting cast of receivers was either not trusted enough, or talented enough to see a large share of targets from quarterback Derek Carr.
Zay Jones has answered this call and the Silver and Black finally have two legitimate options at wide receiver. Derek Carr has been singing the praises of Jones for quite some time, however, his talk never backed up his trust in the receiver, as he rarely targeted the receiver now in his third season as a Raider.
The decimation of this receiving unit maybe led to the change of narrative here, but whatever it is, the eight-reception, 120-yard performance of Jones against the Colts was not only the top performance of all the Raiders receivers but might just lead to bigger things to come from the receiver.
The focus of opposing defenses has zeroed in on Renfrow, and this is why Carr has been forced to look elsewhere for success, and although Jones may not be his most consistent target, the rise of Renfrow has led to double teams consistently. This has opened up the field for Jones to operate, and the talented receiver is finally putting his mental demons behind him it seems, and thriving on the field.
Look for Jones to continue to be a large part of this offense, and his play will either make or break the Raiders playoff chances in this season’s finale matchup. Remember, Darren Waller is likely back in Week 18, giving Carr three options every time he drops back to pass.