Keys to victory: Raiders part 1

Still riding the high of last week, the Chargers look to carry the momentum over to yet another big week. Second rival in a week (arguably the most unlikable) and this time on the big stage of Monday night football. Now as much as we like to shit on the one-eyed pirates, the truth is that they are in fact 3-0. Chances are good that this could be a close game. However, it seems as if the Bolts are just starting to hit their groove. This week could really start to see the AFC west start to take shape. These are the things that will likely need to happen to tally up a second win in a row.  

Pass rush needs to expose the Raiders offensive line 

Last week the Raiders allowed Derek Carr to get sacked 3 times and hit 9 other times. The Chargers who faced a much better line in Kansas City recorded 2 sacks and 7 quarterback hits against Mahomes. Carr is also much less mobile and theoretically they should be able to get to Carr much easier than Miami did. However, what works on paper or in theory doesn’t always translate. I would personally like to think that if Staley has the same level of constant rotation on the defensive line like he did last week it should translate. Everyone on the defensive line saw double digit snaps last week and it paid off…the fresher the more productive.  

Run defense needs to step up 

While everyone was super high off the excitement of the upset some things got swept under the rug. One of those things happens to be the fact that the run defense got utterly gashed for the second week in a row. Giving up 186 yards on 30 carries averaging 6.2 yards a carry. Now theoretically it helps that Josh Jacobs might not play. However, back up running back Peyton Barber has 111 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries averaging 4.8 yards a carry. When you see these two stats from both sides back-to-back it can become unsettling. The team cannot rely on a high turnover rate every week and will need to stop the bleeding in the run defense department. This will likely become a theme over the course of the season.