Greetings and salutations, it’s another Behind Enemy Lines, this time with Asher Mathews, the face that runs TFDS Sports – the Raider presence on our blog network. I thank him for taking the time to chat about the Raiders and what Bills fans should expect. Give him a follow on Twitter @AsherMathews and get some quality 411 on the Silver and Black!
With the record sitting at 9-2, how has Jack Del Rio and Reggie McKenzie gotten the Raiders to this point?
Reggie McKenzie inherited a mess when he came to the Raiders. In an effort to get back on top before he passed, Al Davis continually leveraged the future trying to win in the present by trading draft picks for marginal players. The trades mostly stopped once the McKenzie arrived.
Instead, McKenzie has focused on building his team through the draft and with select free agents. Obviously, Derek Carr was a great find for him and is paying great dividends for the team this year. The Raiders wouldn’t be anywhere close to 9-2 without him at QB. He’s also hit on most of his first round picks, which is the fastest way to turn a bad franchise around: DE Khalil Mack and WR Amari Cooper are already mentioned in the top of their positions and this year’s top pick, safety Karl Joseph, also looks like a good pick.
Who is an unsung hero of this Raiders team?
Known more for his dancing than his play by most outside of Oakland, punter Marquette King has quietly ascended to be one of the best punters in the NFL. He came in as an UDFA in 2013 and seemed destined to be cut in favor of veteran Chris Kluwe but his incredible athleticism won him the starting role.
Known initially for his big leg but some struggles with consistency, King has become a model of consistency. He can punt long, with accuracy, and with good hang time and his leg has been a positional weapon in multiple games this year. He also has bailed out the team in other ways including running 27 yards for a first down on 4th & 24 after a bad snap busted a punt.
As it stands – from a fan’s perspective – are the Raiders truly moving, or is it just hot air for negotiations?
I think it’s pretty clear that Mark Davis is going to apply for a relocation early next year. After that? It’s anyone’s guess what the other 31 owners do. There are credible reports that the NFL would prefer the Raiders to stay in the Bay Area and that seems likely to me because the Bay Area has a much bigger population to attend and watch games. But if the deal in Las Vegas continues on it’s course, can the owners turn down that much public money? Only time will tell.
What has been the biggest contributor to the quantum leap of Derek Carr at QB?
A big part of the leap is that he’s settling into what an NFL QB needs to be: he’s making good decisions, seeing the entire field and taking what the defense gives him. But the biggest contributor? I think that it’s the talent around him. Last year, Amari Cooper was electric but he also led the league in dropped passes. He has been much better in that regard this year. Michael Crabtree has been extremely clutch and has bailed the team out with tough catches on third downs multiple times this year.
The offensive line is also much improved this year and it wasn’t the bad last year. The addition of left guard Kelechi Osemele has been huge – figuratively and literally. His addition caused Gabe Jackson to move to right guard and with Rodney Hudson, the three have solidified the interior of the line. Donald Penn is looking better than ever this year at LT. The only position that hasn’t been solid is RT and that has been due to injuries. Carr has had time to throw when he needs it and that makes it hard for defenses to cover the Raiders’ wide receivers.
What is your prediction to the game? Mind you, I think that the Bills are in for a long day myself….
I picked the Bills to win in this week’s Pick’em contest although I’m one good week removed from being last in that contest so I’m not sure how much weight that gives to the pick. I think the Raiders have skirted disaster in a lot of recent games and have pulled out some amazing victories. At some point, I think they’re due for a let down in their 4th quarter magic. I also think the Bills match up really well against the Raiders.
I haven’t mentioned the Raiders defense in this piece yet and that’s a good thing – they’ve looked pretty bad for much of the season. Shady McCoy has looked fantastic for the Bills this season and the Raiders have struggled against the run. If the Bills remain committed to feeding Shady the ball, I think that bodes poorly for the Raiders defense.
I’m looking forward to a good game!
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