Why Raiders' Ability to Control Games Will be Key

Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders were at the mercy of everyone of their opponents. The Raiders would routinely turn the ball over and lose the time of possession battle, only to watch their opponents dictate the of the game's flow.

Taking a Look at the Raiders' Offense

The Raiders finally have an offense that can compete in every game they play this season. Although Las Vegas will not finish the regular season undefeated, they should always be a tough matchup. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com analyzed the Raiders' win.

"The Raiders offense will not earn an A+ for their performance against the Patriots, but Carroll and Kelly should be pleased with how the unit controlled the game when needed. Smith led the way with his efficient play from the pocket, particularly on his throws to Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers between the numbers," Brooks said.

"The veteran also hit the mark on a few vertical throws to Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr. that took advantage of the Patriots' over-aggressiveness in the defensive backfield. Although the lack of a consistent running game could hinder the Raiders down the road, Jeanty's flashes as a goal-line back suggest he will eventually emerge as a pivotal playmaker in the backfield."

Brooks noted that the Raiders' offense has the talent to give Carroll the type of offense he is accustomed to having. Las Vegas' front office supplied the Raiders' coaching staff a roster that is competent enough to compete at a high level this season.

Sunday's gritty win over the Patriots was a small sample size, but enough to warrant excitement for the rest of the Raiders' season.

"With the Raiders displaying the potential to attack with an explosive passing game and an opportunistic ground attack built around a star runner, the offense matches the throwback offense Kelly and Carroll envision in Las Vegas," Brooks said.

After the game, Carroll explained how the Raiders took advantage of the Patriots' aggressiveness on defense. New England pressured often early in the game, but Kelly made the necessary adjustments to put the Raiders' offense in position to make plays.

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris

"Well, they still got under the run. They were getting fired up and hyped up about stopping it. I thought Chip [Kelly] called a great game to take advantage of that. Their aggressive style at the line of scrimmage allowed us to get a few plays out of them. And that's just kind of how we play. Hopefully we can keep that going. But we'll need the running game a lot more formidable than that," Carroll said.

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