Lynch has his say ... and 130 yards
If someone was going to invent a carnival-midway thrill ride based on an NFL player, he or she probably would go with Marshawn Lynch.
“Daddy, Daddy, can I ride the Beast Mode?”
“Uh, I don’t know, son. Sure, it looks exciting, but that’s the ride where everyone else on the ride gets to pound on you. Besides, it looks creaky and unreliable.”
The Raiders rode the Beast Mode on Sunday. It’s the kind of ride with a slow build. Lynch, on his first four runs, had 0, 0, minus-1 and 2 yards. They were all thrilling runs, because Lynch leads organized football in hang time between first contact and final beat-down. And maybe they serve to tenderize the defense, a human meat hammer.
In the second half, Lynch went all Gale Sayers, running 13 times for 104 yards, including a 52-yard jaunt around left end, his longest run with the Raiders (he had a 51-yarder last year).
That run came on the secondto-last play of the third quarter, the Raiders on their 31-yard line and trailing by seven.
Lynch added a 16-yard spring in the fourth quarter.
Every Lynch run is an adventure, but you’re not sure if he’s washed up or just getting ready to bust loose. The first three games this season, he rushed for a 3.5-yard average.
His 130 rushing yards Sunday were huge, but as usual, Lynch’s unconventional and all-out cheerleading contributes as much value to the Raiders as does his battering-ram style of running.
Lynch works the sideline, pumping guys up. He is the Raiders’ Hunter Pence.
The Raiders pulled him out of retirement last season as much for his Oakland-hero status as for his running ability. The organization hoped he would serve as a heat shield against fan rancor over the team’s plans to leave town.
Turns out he still can run. There’s no minimizing the impact Lynch can have as a punishing runner, as well as relentlessly upbeat team leader.
“Well, Marshawn only talks when stuff is really bad,” defensive end Bruce Irvin said Sunday, adding, “When Beast needs to say something, he’s going to say it. Obviously, it worked.”
Head coach Jon Gruden said, “Lynch is unbelievable. What a great competitor.”
Lynch, as usual, didn’t talk to the media. But he had his say Sunday.