Raiders' Offense Must Fix Fatal Flaw Immediately

The Raiders Are Not Alone

Earlier this week, Raiders Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly acknowledged the Raiders' struggles to run the ball. However, Kelly also noted that rushing around the league is down overall through the first three games of the season.

When taking specific stats into consideration, the Raiders' ground game is not all that far behind. Still, Las Vegas must fix its offensive line, or nothing else they do will matter.

“I think across the league, through the first three games, the defenses are ahead of the offenses right now in the NFL and at a big rate, like not until 2007 or something, when you go back to the amount of total offense for offenses through the first three games, is as low as it's been in about 15 or 20 years. And that's this league,” Kelly said. 

“Sometimes the defenses are ahead, and then the offenses catch up, and then it goes back and forth, and that's just the nature of this game. But when you look across the league, and some really good backs, and it's surprising me today, and Saquon Barkley's got like 60 carries, but he has 3.3 yards a carry, and that's a good offensive line, that's a good back, it's a Super Bowl champion team, hell of a coaching staff. 

“So, I think it's throughout the league that the defense is doing a good job. Now, that doesn't mean that's just what we say. We've got to do a better job. We're doing a really good job in the passing game right now, but we got to do a better job in the running game."

Regardless of which stat proves what, the Raiders still rank near the bottom of the league in rushing yards per game. While rushing may be down across the league, the Raiders are the only team that drafted a running back with a top-10 pick. No other team selected a back within the top 20 picks.

Las Vegas' draft haul centered around a talented running back. They cannot afford to still be among the league's worst rushing teams.