Silver And Black Pride
Running back provided Las Vegas production its ground game sorely needed
As soon as the running back revelation arrived on the scene for the Silver & Black, it was gone in a blur, too.
Such is the case for Sincere McCormick and the Las Vegas Raiders.
After rushing for 175 yards on 32 carries Weeks 12 through 14, the 24-year-old undrafted free agent from USTA provided a much-needed jolt and production at the running back position the Raiders sorely needed. But, against the Atlanta Falcons this past Monday night, the 5-foot-9 and 205-pound tailback carried the rock seven times for a meager eight yards before suffering an ankle injury as he was gang tackled.
And like defensive end Maxx Crosby, McCormick landed on injured reserve Wednesday ending his 2024 campaign.
McCormick’s absence for the remaining three games of the 2024 slate compounds the Raiders offense that couldn’t get much going against the equally woeful Falcons. No wonder Las Vegas run game and trench work were deemed losers in Matt Holder’s prime time recap.
With McCormick on IR — along with Zamir White on injured reserve, too — Las Vegas depth at running back reads: Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube, and newly promoted Chris Collier.
Mattison returned to action against Atlanta and it wasn’t pretty.
The veteran tailback fumbled and was dropped in the end zone for a safety — highlighting how the Raiders offensive line was owned by the Falcons defensive line. Abdullah remains a serviceable back who is a safety net receiver coming out of the backfield — his five-yard catch was Las Vegas’ lone touchdown against Atlanta. Laube is having his own fumbling issues to secure and Collier (signed to the Raiders practice squad mid-November) is more return man than tailback as an undrafted free agent from the Baltimore Ravens.
Raiders general manager Tom Telesco did ink running back Isaiah Spiller to the taxi squad. The 6-foot-1 and 215-pound 23-year-old was a Telesco fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Of that group, Mattison and Abdullah are likely going to be the lead backs going forward. Mattison has 341 yards on 104 carries with three touchdowns in the 11 games he’s played. Along with 27 receptions for 248 yards and a score out of the backfield. Abdullah has 159 yards on 39 carries and a touchdown on the ground and 32 catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns as a receiving option.
Abdullah, the oldest in the running back room at 31, is someone younger Raiders admire, for example.
“I think he’s in year 10 I want to say it is, but no, he came up to us a couple weeks ago in the team meeting on offense, whatever it was, and he just gave us a message of you never know when it’s going to be your last one. You can’t ever take anything for granted,” quarterback Desmond Ridder, who started against Atlanta, said of Abdullah. “And it was kind...
