Oakland Raiders Get Back To Being Offensive

The Oakland Raiders offense was reborn in Tennessee on Sunday. An offense lacking big plays and creative play-calling got back to the roots of their early season success.

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The Raiders took the field against the Tennessee Titans with their playoff hopes on life support. The previous three games had produced frustrating and mind-boggling defeats that had taken the luster off of what had been a promising season.

The Raiders’ offense seemed to be stuck in mud, unable to generate any explosive plays or show any resemblance to the quick striking unit that was putting up big numbers earlier in the season.

Oakland’s recent slump was mainly being attributed to conservative play calling and inconsistent play from their top offensive weapons. Amari Cooper , who exploded onto the scene with eye opening catches and jaw-dropping open field runs seemed to have hit the “Rookie Wall”. The speedster out of Alabama has been having difficulty holding on to passes lately and was beginning to press. It was vital for Raiders’ offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to reestablish Cooper as a downfield threat and allow Derek Carr to utilize the whole field.

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The early season chemistry between Carr and Cooper re-emerged in Nashville. After having just one catch for 4 yards in last week loss to Detroit, Cooper lit up the Titans defense for a team-high seven catches and 115 yards.

The big game for Cooper also got him into the Raiders record book. Cooper has amassed 851 receiving yards, breaking James Jett‘s previous rookie record of 777 yards, which he set in 1993.

Although Cooper struggled in Detroit he didn’t let it carry over into Sunday’s contest.

"“I moved on from that game,” Cooper told espn.com."

Amari Cooper wasn’t the only Oakland receiver making big plays against Tennessee. Seth Roberts , Oakland’s relatively unknown second year pass catcher had the best game of his young career. Roberts torched the Titans secondary for six catches and 113 yards, while getting into the end zone twice — including the game-winning touchdown that sealed the victory for the Silver and Black.

The Raiders needed all of Derek Carrs‘ 330 passing yards with the running game struggling once again against Tennessee. Latavius Murray was only able to amass 59 yards on 22 carries, making it essential for the passing game to get off its recent downward slide.

It is imperative the Raiders continue to threaten defenses down the field. With the running game wildly inconsistent, Bill Musgrave must allow Carr to take chances. Although Sunday was a big victory for the Raiders, it still had its Jekyll and Hyde moments. Oakland’s inability to put games away in the second half continues to be a huge problem. In the first half of games the Raiders offensive is aggressive and will take their share of downfield shots. But in the last 30 minutes they seem to crawl back into their conservative shell.

If the Raiders want to play meaningful games in late December they must continue to put the pedal to the metal. Musgrave must stay aggressive the entire game and allow Carr the opportunity to seal victories with his powerful right arm. The Raiders face a surging Kansas City Chiefs team on Sunday. The Chiefs have won five games in a row and are playing with unbelievable confidence — even without star running back Jamal Charles.

Next: Oakland Raiders: An Ugly Win

Keeping a good Chiefs’ defense off-balance will be key for the Raiders’ offense. The Raiders must come out in attack mode on Sunday. They must have the mindset of a team willing to go for the jugular when they have an opponent on the ropes.”Chief Week” has arrived in Oakland and it’s time for these Raiders to show they know how seal the deal.

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