Oakland Raiders: A few keys to week six win over the Seattle Seahawks
By Kevin Saito
Shut Down Seattle’s Backs
Seattle comes into the game ranked eighth in the NFL in rushing yards. They’re averaging just over 122 yards per game, have scored four times on the ground, and average 4.3 yards per carry.
Seattle is led by Chris Carson, who’s ground out 293 yards and a touchdown on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. His backup, Mike Davis, is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and has scored three times.
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Seattle has a good group of backs, and as the offensive line has gotten healthy and improved, they’ve shifted to more of a ground and pound attack that is sustaining what is otherwise, a very average offense – ranked twenty-seventh overall, and only seventeenth in scoring offense.
The problem, of course, is that the Raiders come in with the league’s twenty-eighth ranked run defense, giving up 127 yards on the ground, and have been scored on six times – twenty-seventh worst in the league.
Oakland has shown some signs of life in run defense – they shut down Miami’s backs, limiting them to 41 yards of total rushing, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill scrambling to account for 27 of those 41 yards.
However, they’re susceptible to giving up big plays. This Raiders run defense gives up yards in big chunks – perhaps best exemplified by Browns rookie Nick Chubb breaking off scoring runs of 63-yards, and following that up with a 41-yarder.
If this Raiders run defense can keep the ballcarrier in front of them, tackle well, and avoid giving up the big chunk plays, they could put themselves in a good position to shut down Seattle’s offense altogether. Without the run game, Seattle has difficulty moving the ball and scoring.
But, the Raiders need to prove they can actually defend the run.