With the season one the line for the Las Vegas Raiders, these changes could keep them in the playoff picture.
As Jon Gruden would say; ” What happened to the Raiders, man?”
One week after looking to be the most improved team in the NFL by taking the Chiefs down to the wire, they imploded on the road against the Falcons. Derek Carr’s magic hit midnight, returning him back to a four-turnover day. Meanwhile, despite the defense holding Matt Ryan to 185 yards, Younghoe Koo tacked on 15 points from his sturdy leg to give them a 43-6 win.
The AFC postseason picture is tighter than ever. If the season were to end today, Las Vegas would be sitting at home, watching Cleveland, Indianapolis and Miami take claim of the wild card spots. At 6-5, every win counts, especially one against the winless New York Jets.
For Gruden to prove his team is postseason material, these change ups should help Las Vegas win Sunday afternoon.
What changes to the Raiders need to make on offense?
1. Control the time of possession
This might seem easy, but it’s much harder to manage than people think. Of their 11 losses, New York has had control of the clock once against the Dolphins. Even with it, the team managed to lose 24-0.
Balanced offensive production against a struggling franchise is essential. The Raiders will need to rely on Devontae Booker a bit more this week as Josh Jacobs will likely be limited due to an ankle injury. If he can go, it’ll be about splitting reps between the 1-2 combination and knowing when to play each runner.
Carr was asked to throw 34 times against the Falcons secondary, a modest number. However, if one side is failing, it’s best to trust the positives of the game. Against the Falcons, Las Vegas lost the time of possession by nearly 10 minutes, half of which allowed drives ending in field goals.
Let Carr set up a third and short and keep the clock rolling. Adam Gase and Sam Darnold have proven to crack under pressure and with little time, they’ll be looking for an exit.