The New Orleans Saints also kept the Raiders' potent ground attack in check, with the offense totaling just 113 rushing yards on 27 carries, and Jeanty and Washington held to 56 yards or fewer each. Because most of the yardage came on Washington's 36-yard touchdown, the Raiders' running game has not produced the dominant performance or output expected.
Studying the All-22 coaches footage from each of those contests, Jeanty and Washington rarely get to the line untouched when they have the ball in their hands. Defenders quickly buzz past the Raiders' frontline, leaving the young runners to duck and dodge in the backfield. The Raiders' 3.1 yards per carry and 24.4% run-stuffed rate are league-worst, and the team's 93 rush yards per game and 32.8% rushing success rate are in the bottom five.
With the Raiders favoring condensed formations and heavy personnel groupings, opponents have aggressively packed the box to clog running lanes, leading to Jeanty and Washington running into brick walls. Although the Raiders have countered the loaded boxes by throwing the ball effectively to Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer from run-heavy sets, the ground game must improve for the offense to control the game and execute a complementary football plan.
Whether moving the Xs and Os around the board differently or finding the right combination of runners and blockers to pick up four-plus yards when needed, fixing the ground game must be the Raiders' No. 1 offensive priority as the team heads into a tough stretch of games against New England, Buffalo and Los Angeles (Rams).
Given the importance of controlling the tempo in playoff-level games, improvement in the Raiders' running game will determine whether the Silver and Black remain in the race down the stretch.