Going into last week’s game, the then-undefeated Raiders knew they were up against a really good defense along with an offense led by the dynamic Cam Newton. But what killed the Raiders on defense wasn’t Newton’s legs it was the legs of the New England Patriots’ running backs.
Sony Michel ran for 117 yards on just 9 carries. Rex Burkhead got 49 yards on just 6 carries. Overall, the Patriots would run for 250 yards. That is a stat that looks more like a wishbone led Oklahoma offense not a modern day NFL offense. “Obviously we missed some tackles, and we had a couple of players out of their gap,” Coach Jon Gruden said.
The Bills running backs had a solid 4.8 yards a carry last week against the Los Angeles Rams. That number would’ve been bigger had the Bills not blown a big lead before eventually pulling out a 35-32 win.
The challenge will be even harder because Buffalo’s Josh Allen will use his feet against the defense. Allen’s ability to avoid defenders can’t be measured with simple carries/yards statistics. As he’s grown as a quarterback, Allen is breaking the pocket and looking for big plays in the passing game. It has led to a 10 touchdown, 1 interception start.
No doubt the addition of Stefan Diggs has helped the young quarterback. “He’s big-time player. And they’ve got an arsenal around him with the acquisition of [Stefon] Diggs from the Vikings,” said Gruden.
While the Raiders defense is still a work in progress, their offense continues to improve despite the turnovers last week.
The Patriots focused a lot of their attention on tight end Darren Waller. Las Vegas should assume that teams will look to copy this strategy. Hunter Renfroe stepped up with 84 yards receiving (6 receptions). There is concern at the wide receiver position. Injuries has robbed Derek Carr of weapons that can stretch the field. Tyrell Williams is out for the season. The two rookie draft picks, Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, have both been hit by the injury bug. There’s a good chance that none of the three will play this weekend.
With the defense still a work in progress, the offense will need to be efficient against the Bills. Gruden knows Buffalo will stack the box to take away Josh Jacobs and will do everything possible to take away Waller.
The Raiders will also need to win the turnover battle. The three turnovers against the Patriots were crippling. All three were fumbles with Carr being responsible for two.
With a trip to Kansas City and a home date with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waiting in the wings, the Raiders can’t afford to give away Sunday’s home game.
