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As the Raiders look to get backmost connected the close way this Sunday erstwhile they play big to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 5-3 Raiders request a triumph to either support gait with the 5-3 Los Angeles Chargers successful the AFC West pursuit oregon summation immoderate breathing country from the remainder of the Division. However, a nonaccomplishment puts the Chiefs backmost successful the part hunt.
In spite of caller off-field issues, they person each of the objectives wrong reach. And their fans person plentifulness of questions astir those goals.
Here is simply a sampling of what arrived successful this week’s Raiders mailbag:
Robert Alvarado (@raiderrob1964SS): In 2019 and 2020, Jon Gruden said reddish portion issues were a constituent of emphasis. It’s 2021 and the Raiders person the aforesaid problem. Will we get Marcus Mariota much progressive successful the reddish portion anytime soon?
Vincent Bonsignore: If you look astatine past week’s reddish portion woes, it was astir 100 percent an contented of execution, turnovers and penalties alternatively than strategy oregon playcalling.
It’s ironic due to the fact that the violative enactment seems to person turned a corner, which means moving the shot has been easier. The caller playcalling dynamic of Greg Olson and Derek Carr has meant much creativity. In that regard, they are successful a bully presumption to present successful the reddish zone.
None of it matters if the Raiders are turning the shot over, committing a punishment oregon Derek Carr is missing an unfastened receiver successful the extremity zone. It makes consciousness the Raiders would look to grow Mariota’s relation successful that country arsenic helium gives the defence much to relationship for with his quality to tally the ball.
Hook Jr. (@DominionRaider): Is our walk unreserved duo being exploited by a deficiency of tally defense? As soon arsenic Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue were successful the backfield, the Giants seemed to tally it up the gut. What are Maxx and Yannick’s responsibilities successful those cases?
VB: In a way, yes. The Raiders privation to make max unit disconnected the edge, and that is the superior work of Crosby and Ngakoue. Sometimes that leaves them susceptible to the run. However, the Raiders strategy accounts for that connected their 2nd level with linebackers and safeties, whose occupation is to capable unfastened gaps — oregon tally fits — successful bid to plug the lanes.
Too often, affirmative tally plays by opponents are the effect of atrocious tally fits. That creates country to tally and affirmative yards. It’s been a constituent of accent each year, but the Raiders intelligibly request to bash a amended job.
Holz® (@holz75): How galore wins would it instrumentality for Mark Davis to privation to support this unit together? Or, bash you get the consciousness that he’ll privation a alteration astatine the extremity of the play regardless?
VB: It’s pugnacious to pinpoint precisely however galore wins are the magic number. You presume decision-makers person a wide thought of what they privation to spot from this squad and that they volition cognize whether that anticipation has been met by the extremity of this season.
Whether oregon not that volition beryllium determined by magnitude of wins, oregon a playoff spot oregon part title remains to beryllium seen.
Oaxaca_Raider (@EnJoYDeez): With the caller betterment successful the violative line, bash you deliberation they volition proceed to to marque progress?
VB: The violative enactment has played its champion shot of the play during the past 2 games, with large improvements from halfway Andre James and Alex Leatherwood.
James is connected a large uptick successful each phases, and it appears the Raiders’ patience successful him is paying off. Leatherwood’s tally blocking has been astatine its highest constituent each season, though his walk blocking inactive needs work.
As presently constructed, the 5 games this radical has present played unneurotic has resulted successful dependable improvement. There is nary crushed to deliberation that can’t continue.
GO (@antfrk60): How overmuch signifier did DeSean Jackson get successful this week?
VB: The caller wide receiver was a afloat subordinate each week and is not lone expected to marque his Raiders debut Sunday, helium is expected to person a role.
JasenD (@Allbeef_Frank47): Malcolm Koonce’s sanction has been thrown astir a batch this week. Are they going to usage him to spy Patrick Mahomes similar we utilized Arden Key past season?
VB: The rookie antiaircraft end’s sanction has been mentioned rather a spot this week, and that is simply a wide motion helium is making progress. It would not beryllium a astonishment if helium suited up Sunday and that a bundle was successful spot for him.
However, astatine this constituent it would astir apt entail what helium does best: Get aft the quarterback.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.
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