Oakland Raiders: 5 Attainable Goals For The Team In 2015

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 Top 15 Rushing Attack

There aren’t enough words to describe just how bad the Raider running game was in 2014. Especially since we can’t use most of the ones we’d like to since this is a family friendly forum. Suffice it to say, the Raiders were really, really, really bad running the ball last year.

How bad were they? Glad you asked. Oakland rushed for just 1,240 rushing yards for the year, the Raiders posted a league low 77.5 yards on the ground per game. By way of contrast, the Seattle Seahawks had the league’s best rushing game with 2,762 yards and a healthy 172.6 yards per game average.

To put it in even more horrifying perspective, there were six backs in the league who rushed for more yards than the Raiders on their own. And another seven who were only just slightly behind Oakland’s total rushing yards.

For this offense to flourish, the Raiders must get back to pounding the football. The last coaching regime in Oakland was far too quick to abandon the run game entirely, as their meager 21 rushing attempts per game can attest to. Most of the time, it seemed like the Raiders under Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, and Greg Olson, viewed the running game as little more than an afterthought.

With a new offensive line coach in Mike Tice and an offensive coordinator who has a reputation for putting together solid running games in Bill Musgrave, the Raiders look like they are going to get back to playing a little smashmouth football – though one with some added, up-tempo wrinkles in the gameplan, of course.

The addition of Rodney Hudson, moving Austin Howard back to his natural position at tackle, to fortify a line that includes maulers like Donald Penn and Gabe Jackson, bodes well for Oakland’s running game. The one question mark is at one of the guard positions, though if the Raiders are unable to add an immediate plug and play option in the draft or as a free agent, Khalif Barnes has filled in well in the role.

New running backs Trent Richardson and Roy Helu, combined with returners Latavius Murray and Marcel Reece, will breathe some new life into the Oakland ground attack. Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew gave the Raiders absolutely nothing last season, and it was Murray who gave the running game some life late in the year.

If Richardson can finally fulfill his potential in a system that he’s comfortable in, and Murray shows that he is not a flash in the pan, the Raiders’ running game is going to be in great shape. Both Helu and Reece add additional layers to Oakland’s running game, and will be good change of pace backs.

It seems crazy, we’re sure, but Oakland’s running game, despite being abysmally bad in 2014, has a coaching staff committed to establishing the run, as well as the ingredients to be vastly improved in 2015 – possibly improved enough to be in the upper half of the league.

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