Oakland Raiders: 5 Reasons Fans Can Be Optimistic About 2015
By Kevin Saito
Dec 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
A Revamped Running Game
Abysmal doesn’t even begin to describe Oakland’s running attack in 2014. Oakland ranked dead last in the league in rushing yards with a paltry 1,240. They were also dead last in rushing touchdowns with an embarrassing four scores. Those statistics are all the more embarrassing when you consider the fact that of those 1,240 yards, Latavius Murray accounted for a third of them (424 yds.) on just 82 total carries.
Not all of it was the fault of the running backs. The coaching staff last season abandoned the run game far too soon in some games, and never really attempted to establish a rushing attack in most others. With just 21 attempts per game in 2014, Oakland was dead last in that category as well – by a wide margin.
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Some will argue that the Raiders had no choice but to throw more often because they faced such large deficits. It’s a misleading argument though. Oakland was in quite a few games last season, but former OC Greg Olson never tried to establish the ground game, preferring to let Derek Carr air it out more often than not.
That all changes in 2015 though. Gone are Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. In are Roy Helu and Trent Richardson. Neither are splashy additions, to be sure, and in Richardson’s case, he’s been a big time draft bust to this point in his career.
But Helu is a versatile, change of pace back whose speed will help him get to the edge, and whose pass catching ability – not to mention his elusiveness after the catch – make him a very potent weapon in Carr’s arsenal. And if Oakland can get Richardson to finally realize the potential he displayed coming out of college – potential that made him the third overall pick in the draft – he can be a very key piece to Oakland’s running game.
With an offensive line that has been tweaked a bit for the coming year – gone is Stefan Wisniewski, and in is Rodney Hudson, and Austin Howard will be moving back to his natural tackle position – the running game will look to be a big part of Oakland’s offensive attack.
New OC Bill Musgrave has a reputation for having a run heavy offensive system. And with Murray, Richardson, Helu, and Marcel Reece in the backfield, and a big, strong, fast offensive line, he has the components in place to build a potent running attack.
Oakland’s backs this season are younger, faster, stronger, and are ready to make some noise.
Next: 2. A More Potent Passing Attack