Buy or Sell: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
Week 15 edition of Buy or Sell following the Oakland Raiders playoff-clinching 19-16 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
The Oakland Raiders (11-3) topped the San Diego Chargers (5-9) at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday, 19-16. With the win, Oakland clinched their first playoff berth in 14 years surrounded by a sea of Raiders’ fans who made the trip to San Diego.
“Obviously we’re really happy in the locker room right now,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said, per Raiders.com. “[We are] really proud of our guys [and] happy to have punched the ticket in postseason.”
The Chargers, on the other hand, likely punched their ticket to Los Angeles.
Here we take a closer look at this Raiders team and what to expect as they continue to defy the odds and march towards the postseason.
A statement will be given, and the answer will be given in a Buy/Sell format.
Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Latavius Murray is an essential piece in Raiders’ offense
Buy.
Raiders running back Latavius Murray has taken a backseat in Oakland’s offense at some points during the season because of what the Raiders can do through the air. However, he made a jump into the passenger seat against San Diego.
Murray faced early adversity at the start of Sunday’s affair, as his first four carries went for just eight yards, and he fumbled the ball twice (one lost) in the first quarter. With his back pushed against the wall, Murray needed to rebound quickly, and he did.
Tay Train turned his next nine carries into 73 yards on the ground, including a 33-yard run in the closing minutes of the second quarter and a 27-yard run halfway through the fourth quarter.
Prior to Murray’s resurgence, the Raiders’ offense had just 134 total yards and three points on the board.
Look for Oakland to continue to lean on Murray to balance their offensive attack into the playoffs.
Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith (21) reacts in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Raiders’ defense isn’t good enough for playoff run
Sell.
The Raiders’ defense was bullied by the Chargers’ deep passing attack and failed to do their part at several points in the game, but when the game was on the line, their defense stood tall.
San Diego’s offense had totaled 242 yards of offense and16 points at the 6:14 mark in the third quarter. Their offensive success would end there.
The Raiders held the Chargers to just 21 total yards of offense on their final four drives of the game and forced two turnovers to secure the comeback win late in the fourth quarter. However, this should not come as a surprise.
Oakland’s defense has yet to allow an opponent to score in the final three minutes of a game this season, and they only continued their dominant streak against the Chargers on Sunday.
Murray praised his team’s defense for giving the Raiders’ offense an opportunity to comeback late in the game.
“We are continuing to find ways to win in obviously close situations,” Murray said, per Raiders.com. “Our defense made stops and helped us get enough to put us ahead and obviously made a key stop at the end so we could finish with the ball in our hands. It was great team football and a great team win.”
There are obvious holes in the Raiders’ defense that will continue to cost Oakland moving forward, but they play their best defense when it matters most, a feat only matched by playoff-ready defenses.
Aug 18, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Derek Carr needs to get back under center
Buy.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr took all snaps from either the pistol or shotgun formation for the third consecutive week after dislocating his finger while taking a snap under center against the Carolina Panthers.
It’s likely Raiders center Rodney Hudson misses him under center, and now, it’s obvious the Raiders’ offense misses under center.
Though Oakland is still able to keep Murray behind Carr in the pistol formation, their distance from the line of scrimmage is proving costly for the Raiders in short-yardage situations.
Murray was stuffed for no gain on the Raiders’ only opportunity on 3rd and 1 outside of the red zone, and their-short-yardage woes continued on the goal line. The Chargers’ defenses stopped Tay Train in his tracks twice on the one-yard line in the fourth quarter, forcing Oakland to settle for a field goal.
Del Rio acknowledged that Carr’s inability to return under center is a problem after the game.
“Yes. It is somewhat of an issue,” Del Rio said. “It is not ideal. Being completely honest about it, it is an issue that we are working through, but it is the way we’re choosing to work through it right now. At some point we will feel better about going under center, we will, but until then we’ll execute the best we can out of the formations we feel most comfortable with.”
Oakland can’t afford to have a limited playbook heading into the postseason. The Raiders will continue to struggle in short-yardage situations if Carr is unable to withstand snaps from under center.
Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders safety Nate Allen (20) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nate Allen is filling in admirably
Buy.
Raiders rookie safety Karl Joseph suffered an injury to his toe against the Buffalo Bills that has held him out of two consecutive games, leaving veteran safety Nate Allen to maintain Joseph’s production at strong safety.
Allen exceeded expectations filling in for Joseph against the Bills and starting in his place against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he continued to perform at a high level in San Diego.
The seven-year veteran picked up six combined tackles and one pass deflection en route to receiving an 83.8 single-game grade from Pro Football Focus.
With Allen stepping up in his starting role, the Raiders can afford to have Joseph take all the time he needs with his injury before he returns to the field.
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