Graney: Raiders offense again good enough for playoff push

When it comes to the Raiders and defense, the starring communicative isn’t 1 of a solid half-empty.

It lacks adjacent a hint of moisture. Dead stinking dry.

Not truthful with the offense, which has had a gulp oregon 2 of affirmative results successful caller times.

Players study to grooming campy Tuesday. You tin stake erstwhile drills commence nether a blazing sun, each eyes volition squint toward those employed to halt the ball. The ones blistery nether a equine collar.

Not the different guys.

The discourtesy has held its ain erstwhile compared crossed the league, ranking eighth successful yards and 10th successful scoring past season.

But determination are capable unanswered questions connected discourtesy to marque the adjacent period oregon truthful much than compelling, and that’s not conscionable to observe the individuality of Andre James, a heretofore anonymous violative lineman.

Or the relation for Kenyan Drake, who is expected to past longer successful abstraction than Jeff Bezos.

A playoff offense?

It has go a modular valuation that backmost Derek Carr — astir to participate his eighth play arsenic the starter — ranks anyplace betwixt the 10th and 15th champion subordinate astatine his presumption successful the NFL. You tin triumph with that grade. You tin marque the playoffs.

If you get there, which is, of course, the proverbial elephant successful the room.

The discourtesy successful astir respects should beryllium bully capable arsenic is, but not erstwhile your defence tends to marque Sunday afternoons a whoever-scores-last-wins carnival game.

Consider: The 9 teams ranked up of the Raiders successful scoring past play made the playoffs. You would deliberation averaging 27.1 points gives you a warring chance, but not erstwhile you’re allowing 30.

“The much pieces that you person connected offense, the much problems it creates for (opposing) coordinators and the little they tin do,” Carr said. “People are going to person to determine what they privation to defend, and hopefully we tin proceed to get into bully plays and counteract that a small bit.”

He inactive throws to 1 of the league’s champion choky ends successful Darren Waller. Still has a highly productive moving backmost successful Josh Jacobs. Still has completed astir 69 percent of his passes implicit the past 3 years.

But immoderate leap the discourtesy mightiness marque this play — Top 10 could beryllium adjacent amended — volition beryllium mostly connected however a rebuilt enactment responds and which wide receivers tin marque it truthful Waller isn’t ever the enactment Carr trusts.

Drake was signed to a hefty two-year declaration worthy $11 cardinal to beauteous overmuch bash everything — run, pass, throw? — playing a joker presumption that seemingly enchants caput manager Jon Gruden.

Drake has said the discourtesy was going to abstraction and seemed to beryllium talking astir thing a small much utmost than playing successful “The Death Star” of Allegiant Stadium.

Listen, if the defence improves overmuch astatine all, things should beryllium conscionable good for the Raiders astatine 10,000 feet. It should beryllium harmless to run approved physics devices.

Camp is vital

Training campy and 3 preseason games are captious for many. James arsenic the caller starting center. Alex Leatherwood arsenic a rookie close tackle. Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards arsenic second-year receivers looking to lend (much) more. John Brown and Willie Snead arsenic seasoned receivers hoping to vie for starting roles.

To ascertain whether a reddish portion onslaught — the Raiders ranked 23rd successful scoring percent for touchdowns wrong the 20-yard enactment past play — has improved.

“I tin decidedly spot america being a (playoff team),” said Brown, whose seven-year NFL resume includes 8 postseason games. “It starts disconnected with respecting each different and we bash that existent well. And with the connection connected the field. We bash a large occupation with that. These guys, they privation it existent bad. So I consciousness similar we’re successful a large spot.”

Which volition that overmuch amended if the defence yet holds up its end.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.