Offensive line faces big test
ALAMEDA — The Raiders’ heavy investment in their offensive line is for games exactly like Sunday’s.
The Denver Broncos’ vaunted pass rush, which is tied for the NFL lead in sacks, goes toe-totoe with a Raiders offense that’s allowed the fewest sacks and quarterback hits in the league.
“It’ll be a great opportunity for us to show who we are,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said.
The Raiders (6-2) are second in the league with 323 passing attempts, which makes their NFL-low nine sacks and 18 hits
on quarterback Derek Carr all the more impressive.
“That’s our job, so you take a lot of pride in going out and doing your job,” Raiders center Rodney Hudson said.
The Broncos (6-2) have 26 sacks, a total matched only by the Buffalo Bills. They are spearheaded by Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller, who has 8 ½ sacks at the season’s midway point.
“It doesn’t matter what you try to do, eventually he’s going to make a play,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said of Miller. “It’s fun to compete against him because he’s one of the best.”
Fun might not exactly be the word choice of offensive linemen who face Miller, who has 68 ½ career sacks in 80 games.
“The guy’s a beast,” Raiders right tackle Austin Howard said. “That’s obviously well-known. He holds a lot of respect in this league. It just is what it is. Everybody has to come to that part in their careers where they have to face somebody like him and that’s where we’re at.”
The respect level goes both ways though and this offseason’s signing of left guard Kelechi Osemele added an extra toughness to the Raiders.
“They probably have the biggest O-line,” Miller said of a group that averages 322 pounds. “They’re probably one of the meanest, toughest O-lines too with (Osemele) and Rodney Hudson on the inside.”
The Broncos are much more than just Miller, especially after DeMarcus Ware returned last week after missing five games with a broken arm. Defensive end Derek Wolfe has 4 ½ sacks and Shane Ray, who filled in at outside linebacker when Ware went out, has four sacks.
Denver also has a standout secondary that includes Aqib Talib (who is dealing with a back injury), Chris Harris Jr. and reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Bradley Roby at cornerback and T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart at safety. They all contribute to a unit allowing a leaguelow 183.9 passing yards per game.
“They have a bunch of guys that can get there,” said Del Rio, who was Denver’s defensive coordinator from 2012-14. “They have good cover people. Rush and coverage make up good pass defense.”
There’s some hope that the Raiders battles, particularly during training camp, against Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin will help prepare them further for Sunday’s challenge.
“It can help in some ways.,” Irvin said. “But there ain’t nothing like live bullets, game reps.”
If this is an opportunity for Bill Musgrave to challenge his team against another top group, the Raiders’ offensive coordinator isn’t approaching it that way.
“Not necessarily,” Musgrave said. “I think we’re very squarely focused on the opponent this week. There’s some X’s and O’s that we need to cover in each and every meeting. We have a good routine where we’re prepared and focused on our side of the ball and playing good technique with what we do. We definitely have our hands full with some of the matchups this week, but that’s common for each and every week.”
Suspended linebacker Aldon Smith told the Associated Press that he plans to return to football in two weeks, optimistic the NFL will grant his wish.
“Hopefully, soon,” he said Thursday night while attending the Warriors- Thunder NBA game from a baseline courtside seat.
The menacing pass rusher applied for reinstatement from the NFL late last month, asking Commissioner Roger Goodell to let him play again when his yearlong suspension is over Nov. 17 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
“I’ll be back in two weeks, you can ask me all the questions then,” he said with a smile.
Smith was banned for one year last November for violating the substance abuse policy. That stemmed from an arrest in August 2015 on charges of drunken driving, hit and run, and vandalism.
Cornerback Sean Smith gave it a go at practice on Thursday, providing at least some hope he could play Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Smith injured his shoulder on the second play of last week’s 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed the Raiders’ first practice of the week on Wednesday.