Oakland Raiders: Notes And Observations From Week Eight

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November 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Andre Holmes (18) is congratulated by wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) for scoring a touchdown in front of quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the second quarter against the New York Jets at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Aerial Attack Is Legit – Could It Be Elite?

Derek Carr set the tone straight out of the gate by going straight at Darrelle Revis and flinging a deep one to Amari Cooper. The message was clear – we’re not afraid of you and we can throw on anybody.

And the Raiders proved that time and time again against the Jets.

Despite the evidence to the contrary, there are still plenty of skeptics who find reasons and make excuses for why Oakland’s passing game is not one of the best in the game – or dare we even say, elite?

One of the biggest arguments some make against Oakland’s passing game being great or even elite is that they rely too much on Cooper. They claim that if you take Cooper out of the game, Oakland’s passing attack will sputter and fail.

Simply put, that is utter hogwash – or insert your own non-family friendly adjective of choice here.

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While having a player as electric and dynamic as Cooper running routes is definitely a big bonus for this Raiders’ passing attack, the Oakland passing game is far from a one man show. And anybody who believes it is simply hasn’t been paying much attention.

The rookie may get all the headlines, but veteran Michale Crabtree has quietly – very, very quietly – been putting together a very solid season. Crabtree, the silent assassin that he’s become, leads the team in receptions with 40, is second on the team with 483 receiving yards, and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown grabs.

Carr has completed passes to 13 different receivers this season and remarkably, eight different receivers have caught a touchdown pass.

Oakland’s passing game ranks tenth in the NFL with 256 yards per game. In terms of QB rating among the league’s starters Carr ranks fifth at 105.7 – behind only Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Carson Palmer, and Andy Dalton. Carr’s 15 touchdown passes put him in a fifth place tie, and his three interceptions put him among the league leaders for fewest picks so far this season.

Oakland’s passing game is bristling with weapons, and Carr is making very good use of them all. They’re tenth in the league at the moment, but given the way they’ve performed over the last few weeks, there is every reason they’ll climb even higher.

Next: Toss It Out

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