Raiders need to figure out offense
Oakland has lacked running game, resulting in ineffective pass attack
The quarter mark of the NFL season is here, but as Week 4 showed, so many unknowns about players and teams remain. Here are overreactions we’re disputing after Sunday’s games.
THE RAIDERS ARE NO LONGER CONTENDERS IN AFC
Consecutive defeats to the Redskins and Broncos raise plenty of questions about 2-2 Oakland. One that doesn’t need to be asked, however, is whether the Raiders still boast one of the conference’s most talented rosters. They do.
The problem is the offensive line showed it’s vulnerable to top-level pass rushes. Washington and Denver combined for seven sacks. Most surprising was that both teams frequently needed only four rushers to do so. With receivers blanketed by the rest of the defense, the Raiders offense was defused.
Oakland combined for 56 rushing yards on 28 attempts in both of those games. If Marshawn Lynch and the rest of the run game can force more defenders into the box, it should open up the passing game and should restore order to the offense.
That said, the Raiders received some bad news Monday about QB Derek Carr’s health. He has a fracture in his back and could be out a month or more.
THE RAMS’ RISE IS MERELY A TEMPORARY BOOST PROVIDED BY A NEW COACH
Behind 31-year-old coach Sean McVay, the 3-1 Rams sent a statement with a 35-30 win over the Cowboys. This team, first in the NFC West, might emerge as a legitimate threat.
The sample size is small, but L.A. has the NFL’s top-scoring of- fense (35.5 points a game). Jared Goff has excelled at quarterback, silencing those who were quick to call him a bust after a rough rookie campaign. And running back Todd Gurley, who struggled through a down year, has emerged as a dangerous multipurpose threat. Gurley has 596 yards from scrimmage, seven total touchdowns and averages 4.2 yards a carry, compared with his mark of 3.2 last season.
Although the Rams have given up 26.2 points a game (28th in the NFL), the defense could make substantial progress as it grows more comfortable with coordinator Wade Phillips’ new system.
Next week’s game against Seattle should provide a reliable indicator of where Los Angeles stands in the NFC landscape. A victory would not only further legitimize the Rams, put perhaps even put a target on their back.
THE BILLS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE AFC EAST
Looking at the standings alone, that conclusion is true. Buffalo is atop the AFC East at 3-1, ahead of the 2-2 New England Patriots and New York Jets and the 1-3 Miami Dolphins.
The Bills might have had the most impressive two-week stretch of anyone in the NFL, beating the Broncos in Week 3 and then defending NFC champion Atlanta on Sunday.
Rookie coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have leaned on a stingy defense and reliable running game while winning the turnover battle — Buffalo is tied for second in the NFL with a +6 margin.
But this Bills squad is competing against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and a Patriots team that has an eight-year stranglehold on the division. New England, even with its early-season struggles, is still the front-runner. Until the Bills prove themselves in head- to-head matchups, this should just be seen as a positive and strong start under a new regime in Buffalo.
BRISSETT GIVES COLTS REASON TO RETHINK PLANS FOR LUCK
A 46-18 rout by the Seahawks left little optimism in Indianapolis, but one bright spot this season has been quarterback Jacoby Brissett, whom the team acquired in a trade before the season.
Brissett held his own against one of the most aggressive defenses in the NFL, completing 16 of 29 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown. He did throw a pick-six, but receiver Kamar Aiken did him few favors with a sloppy route and uninspired fight for position. An impressive scoring strike to Donte Moncrief was a clear demonstration of his value to the offense.
Brissett has completed 59.1% of his passes for 683 yards with two touchdowns and two inter- ceptions, and has added 69 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Considering how little time he has spent in coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s scheme, those are pretty solid numbers.
But Andrew Luck could return to practice this week and might be ready to start soon. Luck is still the most talented passer on the roster, even if there’s early rust. Brissett gives Indy a reliable backup plan, but all Luck needs to return to his role, at this point, is health.