Tag: Johnathan Abram

Winners and losers for Raiders in Week 1 vs. Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders pull off their first victory 34-30. Raiders wire looks at the Winners and Losers from Week 1

After a long offseason that felt like it went on forever, we finally got Las Vegas Raiders football. The Raiders did not disappoint the nation going into Carolina and defeating the Carolina Panthers 34-30 in a nail biter that went down to the final minutes.

The Raiders offense showed up in a big way, putting up 34 points on the board, which is more than they scored all last season. After their first three and out, they achieved five straight scoring drives, helping build a 12 point lead. Raiders averaged 6.09 yards per play and converted 54% of their third downs. That outlook looks great for the rest of the season.

The defense didn’t shine as much as they looked leaky in the backend and didn’t generate much pressure. The Panthers offense was able to move the ball well, allowing 5.96 yards per play, and injuries started to let Christen McCaffery get going late. However, it made the big stop on the fourth down to help secure the win.

Who were the winners and losers for Week 1?

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs

The easiest one for the day was Josh Jacobs. Coming into the season with a ton of hype, Jacobs exceeded the hype with a huge opening day helping the Raiders with their red-zone woes for now with a three-touchdown day.

Jacobs set the tone for the offense and was able to display his vision and decisiveness. While he didn’t have the best yards per carry mark at 3.7, he was able to help out in the passing game adding four catches for 46 yards and able to make Carr look good when he checked down late in the game.

If this is the Jacobs the Raiders are getting all year, he could be a player the offense can ride to wins late in the game. The Raiders were able to make big plays off the play-action as well and give Carr lanes when teams sucked up to stop Jacobs. Jacobs is ready to take his game to the next level.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Raiders Wire ahead of Week 1 matchup

To do that, we spoke with Raiders Wire managing editor Marcus Mosher, who answered five questions about his team.

The Panthers kick off their 2020 season this weekend at home against the Raiders. It’s been four years since they met on the field, so let’s get to know them a little better.

To do that, we spoke with Raiders Wire managing editor Marcus Mosher, who answered five questions about his team.

Marcus Mariota is on IR now. What would need to happen for him to take over for Derek Carr as the starter later in the season?

A lot. Before Mariota was injured, there was a pretty big gap between the two passers in camp. Carr is just a better fit in Jon Gruden’s offense as he can get rid of the ball quickly and accurately. While Mariota does offer more athleticism, he’s just nowhere near good enough of a passer to thrive in the West Coast offense. At this point, Carr would need to be injured for Mariota to see the field.

What do you expect for RB Josh Jacobs’ workload? More of the same from last season or less?

The Raiders have built an offense that runs through Jacobs. The offensive line is among the best in the NFL and they have tight ends and fullbacks to help play smash mouth football. As long as the Raiders are close in games, Jacobs should see a ton of carries this season.

But as for the receiving game, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jacobs get more targets this year than in 2019. Earlier this offseason, Jon Gruden spoke about how he regretted that the team didn’t get Jacobs more involved in the passing game. Don’t expect that to be a problem this year as Jacobs has set a goal of 60 receptions this season.

The Raiders had one of the NFL’s worst defenses last season. Did they do enough this offseason to turn that around or not?

They certainly hope so. The Raiders invested a ton of money into their defense this offseason, signing veterans such as Maliek Collins, Carl Nassib, Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski. They also added cornerback Damon Arnette with the No. 19 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Raiders don’t need to have an elite defense this season to be successful, but they do need to be competent. There is certainly a lot to be excited about with this defense, but expect the unit to take some time to gel considering all the new faces they added this offseason.

How big of a deal is getting Johnathan Abram back healthy?

A big deal. Not only is Abram the starting strong safety, but he’s the enforcer of their defense. And with the Raiders playing so much nickel defense, Abram is a player that will be asked to help stop the run as he typically plays near the line of scrimmage. On top of all that, he’s the emotional leader of the defense. Look for the entire defense to play with a different intensity level now that Abram is back on the field.

What’s your best-case scenario for the Raiders’ record this year? Worst?

Entering the third year of Jon Gruden’s rebuild, the expecation is that the Raiders will compete for a playoff spot. And if the defense can improve, that’s not all that unrealistic. With seven teams making the playoffs from each conference this season, a wild card spot isn’t out of the question. If they can grab one of those three spots, that would have to be considered a successful season for the Raiders.

However, the Raiders schedule is brutal this season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they got off to a 2-6 start. In the first half of the season, they will face the Saints, Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Buccaneers. The Raiders could be a much better team this season, but it not be reflected in their win-loss record. Another 5-11, 6-10 season wouldn’t be all that surprising.

[lawrence-related id=628241]

[vertical-gallery id=628518]

In his second year, Raiders SS Johnathan Abram’s No. 1 focus is staying healthy

It’s Johnathan Abram’s 2nd year with the Raiders, but he’s played in just one game due to injury. He intended to change that in 2020.

[jwplayer aphiVEnL-ThvAeFxT]

The Raiders had three first-round picks in 2019 but only got to watch two play a significant amount of snaps.

But what was last year’s loss is this year’s gain.

Second-year safety Johnathan Abram suited up for the 2019 season opener against the Broncos, but he was lost for the campaign after he made an impactful hit on his opponent, injuring his shoulder.

Abram, for that one game, lived up to his reputation as a brash, big-hitting safety. He had looked the part at 2019 training camp, as well — when the coaching staff had to consistently remind him to not hit his teammates.

But the former first-round choice is back from his shoulder injury, and his goal this season is to play with the entire campaign in mind, not just one big hit.

“I’m very excited to get back out. I don’t think my biggest concern is rushing back to try to technically lay somebody out. More so, just being smarter this year,” Abram said to reporters on Wednesday. “Making sure that I’m available because the best ability is availability. So, just making sure I stay healthy. That’s my biggest concern this year.”

If Las Vegas is to improve on its 7-9 record from a year ago, it needs its first-round selections to become solid starters. Abram has learned that the NFL season is more of a marathon than a sprint — no doubt with help from Gruden, who is fond of saying that the best ability is availability.

If he can stay on the field, he can enjoy doing what he loves to do, and that’s play football, not rehab from injury.

“The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is just being out there with my teammates and helping the guys get a couple wins and get to the playoffs and do what we need to do to turn this thing around,” he said. 

The entire team is likely chomping at the bit to play real football, Abram included. Raiders fans can’t wait to see what he can do, either, and all involved hope the brash safety can maintain his edge and play for an entire season, helping to lead the young defense.

[vertical-gallery id=70932]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders SS Johnathan Abram primed to lead young secondary in Las Vegas

Raiders S Johnathan Abram missed a lot of games last season, but he hasn’t stopped learning the Las Vegas defensive scheme.

It’s a youth movement in the Raiders secondary in 2020, and a lot of pieces have to fall into place for the unit to succeed, especially without a preseason to work out the kinks.

Luckily for coach Jon Gruden, one of the group’s leaders has taken an abundance of mental reps over the last year and is ready to call the shots from the back end.

Second-year safety Johnathan Abram, who missed all but one game last season, apparently used his spare time to learn the playbook and is more comfortable imparting his knowledge pre-snap, according to coach Jon Gruden.

“I think he’s becoming a better communicator which you have to be in the back end. I mean, you have to be able to recognize splits, formations, know the situation and communicate that to those around you,” Gruden said of Abram on Wednesday. “We’re hoping we can create an identity on that side of the ball centered around a bunch of young guys. So, he’s a key, no doubt. And those are the key things, I think.” 

The Raiders are set to start young cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Trayvon Mullen on the outside, and they’ll need leadership, even if it comes from another young player in Abram.

“As far as communication, I understand it a lot more,” Abram told reporters on Wednesday. “I see things before they happen, so I just try to make sure everybody on the field know. No need to let people run into the blind when I know what’s going on.”

The Raiders are in their third year of a rebuild, and an abundance of young players must step up. Abram especially must take command of the secondary. He thrived in that role at Mississippi State, and it’s clearly Gruden’s plan to have a similar situation in Las Vegas.

Hopefully for the Raiders, Abram’s missed time on the field will add up to increased knowledge this season, which actually pays off in the long run as he leads his young crew.

[vertical-gallery id=72662]

[lawrence-newsletter]