Oakland Raiders: Keys to Victory Over Tennessee Titans

Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) carries the ball as Detroit Lions cornerback Quandre Diggs (28) defends at Ford Field. The Lions won 18-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Do Not Overcorrect

The game against Detroit was by far, rookie phenom Amari Cooper‘s worst game as a pro. On four targets, Cooper had one catch for four yards. He also had two very notable drops that cost his team. It was a far cry from his nearly five catch, eighty yard average on the season.

Following the game, HC Jack Del Rio placed some of the blame for Cooper’s dismal performance on the play calling of OC Bill Musgrave. During Monday’s press conference, Del Rio had this to say:

"“I think there were some opportunities with one-on-one coverage that, quite frankly, we didn’t take advantage of. We have to do a better job of making sure that we get our top playmakers involved. Coming out of that game, I feel like we didn’t do a good enough job there as a staff of getting him involved.”"

In the face of Del Rio’s remarks, Musgrave’s temptation might be to overcorrect and get Cooper involved to the detriment of the rest of the team. He might be tempted to force Cooper into situations that aren’t advantageous to the team as a whole and exclude some of Oakland’s many other explosive weapons.

While yes, as the number one receiver Oakland has lacked for so long, Cooper should get a good number of targets, some of his success is owed to his teammates. Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, Andre Holmes, Mychal Rivera, and Clive Walford have all contributed to Oakland’s success in the passing game and have been so effective that defenses cannot afford to sit on Cooper exclusively, and must account for Oakland’s array of offensive talent.

It is important to get Cooper involved, but it’s just as important to get all of their weapons involved and get this moribund offense rolling again.

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