Oakland Raiders: Keys To Victory Over The Cincinnati Bengals
By Kevin Saito
Sep 3, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) celebrates with teammate offensive tackle Justin Britt after scoring a touchdown on a pass reception during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Do NOT Get Into An Early Hole
If there is one thing that the Raiders cannot afford, it’s to find themselves in an early hole. It would be a really great idea if they could score first – and score often.
Getting behind early can only lead to bad things as we saw too much of last season. If Oakland had had any semblance of a rushing attack last year, they would have had to abandon it in the hopes of having Derek Carr throw them back into the game. As it was, they were relying on Carr to provide all of Oakland’s offense anyway – and he didn’t have a fraction of the talent on the roster last year as he does this year.
But with an offensive line that seems to be playing very well – and being coached up by one of the best in Mike Tice – a running game that looks like it’s headed for a rebirth – and having a coach that seems committed to it – and a passing attack that looks downright lethal, the Raiders have the means to keep themselves out of an early hole. Now they just need the will.
And barring that, they need the fortitude and ability to bounce back if they do find themselves staring at an early deficit.
But the Raiders would make life a lot easier on themselves if they could avoid some of the early – and large – deficits that plagued them so often last season. They need to avoid the slow, sluggish offensive starts to the games, and start putting points on the board early – and often.