Raiders Benefiting From Complimentary Football

Up until two weeks ago, the Las Vegas Raiders were unable to play a full game of complimentary football. That has changed, and Las Vegas hasn't looked back.

The Las Vegas Raiders had yet to play a game of complimentary football until they faced the New York Giants two weeks ago. Before that, Las Vegas struggled to do so as an offense and, therefore, as a team. 

Through the first eight games of the season, Las Vegas' defense usually held up their end of complimentary football, as the Raiders ranked near the top half of the league against the pass and the run.

Las Vegas' offense, on the other hand, had yet to do its part. One reason they couldn't successfully take some of the load off the defense's shoulders was because the offense as a unit was not playing complimentary football.

Through eight games, Las Vegas was one of the worst rushing teams in the league. That, in turn, made it nearly impossible for the Raiders, a run-first team, to do much of anything else. 

The offense routinely turned the ball over, rushed for under 100 yards and failed to get their play-makers involved. 

The Raiders changed their quarterback and their offensive coordinator two weeks ago. Although there are still issues to be fixed, many of the problems holding the Raiders' offense back seem to have been alleviated. 

Running back Josh Jacobs rushed for over 100 yards for the second consecutive game. Jacobs has played his best football over the last two weeks, which has helped open up the offense. 

With the running game working, O'Connell completed passes to seven or more receivers each of the last two weeks. That's impressive for a rookie starting only his second and third games in the NFL. 

Hardegree shared his thoughts on how Jacobs' successful outing helped open up the passing game for the Raiders.

"It always does," Hardegree said. "It always goes hand-in-hand. If you have a successful running game, it’s going to help the passing game, and vice versa." 

Jacobs getting going allowed the Raiders' offense to mix up its plays and keep the Jets' defense off-balance long enough to score a late touchdown to win the game. 

The Raiders are on a two-game winning streak with the opportunity to place themselves firmly in the playoff conversation with a victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. 

If the Raiders look like the same team from the last two weeks, a victory over the Dolphins isn't impossible. 

The Silver and Black will head out on the road to South Beach to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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