Big Cat Country
As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9, we sat down with Matt Holder of Silver & Black Pride to learn more about the opposing side.
Question 1: The Raiders rank 30th in yards per game and 31st in points per game. Is there a simple explanation for their offensive woes?
As expected with numbers that poor, the Raiders’ offense is a multifaceted issue.
First, Geno Smith is leading the league with 10 interceptions and not providing the high-level plays that he’s shown in the past. PFF has Smith with a 4.5% “turnover-worthy play” rate, which is his highest as a starter since his rookie season with the Jets, and a 2.4% “big time throw” rate, the lowest of his career as a starter. The 13-year veteran is playing like a rookie, struggling to read the field or adjusting when the defense rolls coverage post-snap, and locking onto his first read.
What isn’t helping is that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is still running a college-level offense. The timing in the passing game is off because there have been several instances where the quarterback reaches the top of his drop in the pocket, but the receivers haven’t finished their routes, or vice versa. That’s led to a few poor decisions from Smith and caused him to hold onto the ball too long. Personally, I’d put more blame on Smith than Kelly because there have been instances where receivers are open and he either misses the read or the throw.
Additionally, the offensive line has been having issues in the first half of the season. The coaching staff decided to reshuffle the interior lineup that was effective at the end of last year, moving Jordan Meredith from left guard to center, Dylan Parham from right to left guard, and Jackson Powers-Johnson from center to right guard. That led to a slow start for the Raiders in the trenches, and Powers-Johnson seems to be on thin ice with the new coaching staff for some reason. Despite showing promise as a rookie, he’s been forced to compete with Alex Cappa for a starting job and recently got benched during the blowout loss in Kansas City. On top of all that, starting left tackle Kolton Miller has been out since Week 4 and is currently on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain and a hairline fracture in his leg.
Question 2: Las Vegas allowed 41 points to Washington in Week 3, 40 points to Indianapolis in Week 5, and 31 points to Kansas City in Week 7. Was there a common theme to those defensive performances?
I could get into more schematics and statistics on those games, but the fact of the matter is that Las Vegas’ defense just lacks talent outside of Maxx Crosby. The unit had a few good performances against a Patriots’ offense that was still learning a new system in the season opener, and when facing a floundering Titans...
