The Las Vegas Raiders' ascent to the top of the AFC West, even on a temporary basis, is quite an achievement, and much of that comes down to how well the offense is clicking. The cornerstone of that newfound firepower is Tyler Linderbaum, a man who reset the market (and then some) in free agency to join the Raiders after years with the Baltimore Ravens.
Linderbaum's signing has changed the game for the Raiders' offense in myriad ways, but others have improved up front in Klint Kubiak's first season as well. But there are weak links and the Chiefs will still have chances to attack Kirk Cousins under center in inventive ways.
After going 3-14 a year ago, the Raiders are 3-0 and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with a chance to best their win total in the first quarter of a new year. We reached out to Levi Dombro, site expert for Raiders' site Just Blog Baby, to tell more about the addition of Linderbaum and how K.C. can best attack the team's offensive front.
How is Tyler Linderbaum looking in the middle, and how are you judging that FA signing after a few games?
Linderbaum has, by all accounts, been worth the money so far. His impact may not show up in the stat sheet or be accurately graded on PFF, but he's a connector and a multiplier. He has done his job in pass protection, and he is the straw that stirs the drink when the run game is clicking and the Raiders' RBs are seeing the holes. It's obvious how much he's doing pre-snap; miscommunications have been nonexistent, they aren't getting hurt by stunts or anything like that, and rarely does a free rusher come in untouched. Twice, he's made a ridiculously athletic play for his size to save Kirk Cousins just before a touchdown throw. He has been awesome.
It feels like the line overall is playing better than expected. What's the weakest link for Spagnuolo to focus on?
Everyone was confident in the group's direction under Rick Dennison, but the group has grown up faster than most expected. That said, Spencer Burford has been a clear weak link at left guard in pass protection, as he has given up 12 pressures in three games. Jackson Powers-Johnson has been inconsistent at right guard as well, but he's dealing with a groin injury this week and may not play anyway. So it is possible that the Chiefs face Caleb Rogers at RG, a second-year player who only has a few games of experience under his belt. That would spread Tyler Linderbaum thin and give Spagnuolo a chance to overload the guards.
The Chiefs have a new speed option outside for the first time in years in R Mason Thomas. How's that going to fly against the Raiders' tackles, who are used to bigger, power rushers for K.C.?
In years past, that would worry me a lot more, especially with DJ Glaze on the right side. He has notoriously slow feet and has struggled with speed rushers. But Glaze has shown dramatic improvement this year and shut down Chop Robinson in Week 1, whose speed and style he had struggled with dating back to college. Kolton Miller is also just as solid as they come, and his issue is typically with bigger, Khalil Mack-type players, not speed guys. So I feel confident in this matchup, much more than I do in years past or with others in this game.
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