The rest of the AFC West: Week 1 takeaways
Oakland Raiders defeat Tennessee Titans 26-16
Run defense excels in Raiders win
The Tennessee Titans boasted the league’s 3rd best rushing attack a season ago but ran into a surprisingly stout Raiders defense on Sunday. The Raiders struggled against the run last season, ranking 23rd in yards allowed. With major question marks at the linebacker position, it seemed like the Titans and their “exotic smashmouth” would run all over the Raiders. However, that was not the case.
Running back duo DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry were held to a combined 69 yards on 18 carries, an average of less than 4 yards per attempt. This was down significantly from last season when they ran for a combined 4.4 yards per carry.
The Raiders defense needs to improve over last season if they want to be a serious contender. Last season they were in the bottom half of the league in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and total points allowed. Against lesser teams, their high powered offense was able to carry them. However they struggled against worthy opponents. The Raiders only beat one playoff team last season, and they got some help from the fans in Mexico City.
This week’s dismantling of a high powered rushing attack is a step in the right direction. Fans should continue to pay attention to the Raiders defense, because a significantly improved unit would make the Raiders a dangerous team.
“Beast Mode” is back
Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch saw his first meaningful action since week 10 of 2015 and he did not disappoint. Some people may have thought that Lynch was just some front office ploy to sell tickets in Oakland before the Raiders moved to Vegas. Those thoughts were quickly squashed as Lynch took his first carry for 14 yards. Lynch did not get a lot of work early in the game. The Raiders clearly thought their receiving corps could overwhelm a Titans secondary that was among the worst in the NFL last season. However when Lynch was given the opportunity, he looked good.
Lynch looked decisive and powerful, as Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey found out. Late in the game when the Raiders needed to run out the clock, Lynch answered the call. He ended the game with 18 carries for 76 yards along with another 16 yards receiving. Lynch will force opposing defenses to respect the running game, which should open up opportunities for Derek Carr and the Raiders passing attack.