There is no worse matchup you’ll see for the Raiders this season than the one they face right out the gates. That matchup pits the Raiders’ weakest are versus arguably the best pass rushing duo in the NFL.
All offseason the Raiders have had issues along the offensive line. With no first and second round draft picks due to the Davante Adams trade, their only avenue for an immediate upgrading the unit was free agency.
And they didn’t make any notable additions in free agency either.
What they are left with is trying to move around players they already had in order to find starters, particularly at right guard and right tackle.
The starters at guard and tackle are former practice squad player Lester Cotton Sr and journeyman Jermaine Eluemunor.
Eluemunor in particular will face off against either Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack on every single play of the game. While quite often the Raiders will have the two of them coming around each edge at the same time. Derek Carr knows this is not a favorable matchup.
“For me I always have confidence going into the game, I know that no matter what that is, I have a job to do; to move the football and things like that,” Carr said of his offensive line. “What they’ve shown in practice is nothing but they’re trying to get better. . . I’m excited for them, but you got to block two of the best rushers and that’s not including the inside guys who are unbelievable. You got to try and stop those guys, that’s a tall task for anybody.”
When the best your QB can say about the line is that “they’re trying to get better,” you know you’ve got problems.
What the Raiders will attempt to do is even the playing field a little. That likely means a lot of screens to keep Mack and Bosa honest and quick passes to keep the linemen from having to block them for two long.
“I’ve competed against both of them multiple times and thankfully never on the same field at the same time, so you could kind of put more attention to one than the other, if you will,” said head coach Josh McDaniels. “There’s no shortcuts around this one. You got to do a good job of using your techniques and playing with good fundamentals. We have to do a good job of getting the ball out on time when we’re supposed to. You pick your spots when you’re going to try to do something, hold onto the ball a little longer or what have you, based on the play you’re trying to accomplish. This is a big challenge.”
Mack in particular has the added motivation of facing his former team which traded him away rather than give him a new contract. He ripped the Raiders last season with the Bears, in what would be Jon Gruden’s last game as Raiders head coach. Now he will face them in his first game with their division rival with the help of the best complementary pass rusher he’s ever had.
The game plan only goes so far in assisting the Raiders offense in trying to keep Bosa and Mack from running roughshod on their offense. It will take on-field talent. And since that talent isn’t coming from much of the Oline, it must come from the skill position players.
“Guys are going to try different things like I am,” said wide receiver DaVante Adams. “The more I keep my mind on ways to show my quarterback I’m open early, it’s something obviously that I had to do in Green Bay early on. I’m playing with two Pro Bowlers there when I first got in, so I had to show Aaron [Rodgers] right off the line, I’m a reliable target and that’s basically the mindset. Just keep showing my quarterback as early as possible so he knows he doesn’t have to sit there and hold onto the ball and he can trust me if I got an out route or whatever, if I get rid of the guy, it makes it a lot better if he sees you running without anybody hanging all over you, so I just kept that mentality the whole time to make it as easy as possible on my quarterback.”
Adams has been the best route runner in the NFL for some time. So, if anyone can get open quickly off the line, it’s him. Hunter Renfrow gets mentioned among the league’s top route runners as well. Mostly for his route combinations that can include three and four moves. He may not have that kind of time. No one will.
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