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NFL Denver BroncosOakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders Would Lose All-Out Air War with the Denver Broncos

By @Kevin_Saito

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

In the days leading up to the Oakland Raiders’ game with the Denver Broncos, a few articles have popped up around the internet suggesting that the only way the Raiders will defeat their division rival is by trying to outduel them in an all-out aerial assault. The logic being that Peyton Manning is going to get his yards no matter what, so your only chance to beat him is by trying to throw for more. While it’s true that Manning will get his yards, and the Broncos offense is one of the most prolific in NFL history, the truth of the matter is that if Derek Carr and the Raiders try to beat Denver by engaging in an all out air war, they are going to lose badly.

For starters, with weapons like Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders at his disposal, Manning has the ability to spray the ball all over the field. He’s got a vast, deep array of experienced and talented receivers to lean on.

While Carr has talented receivers in James Jones, Mychal Rivera, Andre Holmes, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Brice Butler to throw to, their inconsistency sometimes makes them a liability. And while they’ve made some sensational plays, they’ve also dropped some easy passes – and all too often, have killed promising drives as a result. Oakland has talented young pass catchers, but the Broncos have a very decisive edge in that category – one the Raiders can’t hope to match.

Through the first half of the season, the Oakland offense has been entirely predictable and one-dimensional. The running game, thought to be a strength of this offensive unit when the season started, has been missing entirely. Fans have taken to placing the Oakland running game on milk cartons, just hoping somebody has seen it. Part of it is that the Raiders have been in such big holes, they’ve had to try to throw their way out of it. And part of it is just poor game planning on the part of the coaching staff. They abandon the run game far too easily whenever faced with any sort of adversity.

For the season, the Raiders rank dead last in number of rushing attempts per game (18.75) and yards per game (66.1). That lack of productivity has given teams no reason to fear Oakland’s run game, which has allowed them to avoid committing extra defenders to the run and thus, gives them the flexibility to put more bodies in the secondary and sit on passing routes. This helps explain Carr’s 10 picks and 5.9 yards per attempt on the season.

While Denver has the best rushing defense in theNFL, giving up a meager 71.6 YPG and a paltry average of 3.3 YPC, it is imperative that the Raiders establish a rushing rhythm. They showed against the San Diego Chargers and proved that their running game can be potent. The balance between strong rushing and smart passing allowed the Raiders to push the Chargers to the brink before falling, thanks impart to a late defensive collapse.

The Raiders must make Denver respect the run, which will in turn, open up the passing game – and they do need to take their shots downfield. Establishing the run will also extend drives, keep their defense fresh and keep Manning on the sidelines, which is obviously beneficial.

After watching the duel between Manning and Tom Brady last week – and the New England Patriots’ dismantling of the Broncos – some believe that it will be that easy for Carr and the Raiders to duplicate the feat. Given the challenges he’s faced this season, Carr has been pretty exceptional, and his upside is tremendous. But make no mistake, Carr is not on Brady’s level – yet – and expecting him to stand toe to toe with Manning, matching him throw for throw, is beyond unrealistic. It’s ludicrous. And a recipe for a very sound thrashing.

HC Tony Sparano and OC Greg Olson must be smart and avoid the temptation to turn the game into an aerial war, because it’s one they will surely lose.

 

Kevin Saito is a fiction writer, sports junkie, history nerd, and NFL contributor to www.RantSports.com  Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or on Google

 

 

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