Oakland Raiders: 5 Things To Look For In Preseason Game #3

Aug 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Jon Feliciano (68) in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Oakland Raiders 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Will The Offensive Line Continue To Perform?

Offensive line coach Mike Tice deserves a lot of credit. In a short period of time, he’s helped mold a bunch of disparate – and in some cases, underachieving – parts into a cohesive wall of humanity that is doing a bang up job of protecting their quarterbacks.

The line did a good job of protecting then-rookie quarterback Derek Carr, allowing just 24 sacks on the season, which made them one of the better units in the league in that regard. Where they struggled was in the running game. They seldom blew people off the ball, failed to open a lot of holes and running lanes, and had a big hand in Oakland’s miserable running attack in 2014.

This season, with the addition of Tice and center Rodney Hudson, the Raiders offensive line looks like a completely different unit. They are still pass blocking well – Carr has yet to take a sack during the exhibition season – and as a whole, the offensive line has given up just two sacks total. They’re doing a great job of protecting their passer thus far and appear very capable of improving upon the 24 sacks they allowed in 2014.

Where the biggest difference has been though, has been in the running game. They’ve blown people off the ball, dominated the line of scrimmage at points, and have been good enough that Oakland has put together back to back 100 yard rushing games for the first time in seemingly forever.

If the Raiders’ offensive line can continue to perform at the level they’re already at, Oakland may have a very scary, very multifaceted offense that will eat up yards and put a lot of points up on the board.

Next: Can They Redeem Themselves?