The Las Vegas Raiders’ ground game has been subpar since last season.
Even after working tirelessly to fix the problem, the Raiders have not figured it out. The Raiders’ problems running the ball have persisted regardless of who is running the ball, who is blocking, or who is calling the plays. This deeply rooted issue has continued to hold the Raiders’ offense back.
In his first season with the team, Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has spent the first few weeks trying to figure out how to unlock the struggling Raiders’ ground game. He has played multiple combinations of offensive linemen, tried giving multiple running backs varying amounts of carries, and even given multiple Raiders running backs the ball during vital points in critical games.
For better or for worse, Getsy has done nearly everything he can to improve the Raiders’ ground game while using as many running backs as possible. After mishandling the running backs last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Getsy seemed to correct his mistakes and stuck with running back Alexander Mattison for most of the game against the Rams.
Mattison was responsible for 23 of the team’s 29 carries, rushing for 92 yards. That may not seem like much, but for a Raiders team that entered Sunday’s game, it averaged the second-fewest yards per game of any team in the National Football League. Mattison undoubtedly had a productive day.
However, it has been clear for a couple of weeks that Mattison fits into Getsy’s scheme better than running back Zamir White does. So, Mattison’s performance was far from surprising. However, Getsy’s use of Zamir White late in the game did stick out.
After the Rams' defense spent all game chasing Mattison, Getsy wisely mixed White into the fold. White ran the ball three times for 13 yards. While it was only a few yards and a small sample size, the game plan of letting Mattison wear down a defense and then letting a tired opposing defense try to tackle a well-rested and determined White proved successful down the stretch as the Raiders began to move the ball pretty well.
The Raiders will likely be without quarterback Aidan O'Connell for at least one game, likely many more. With how often veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew has turned the ball over this season, Getsy would be wise to get the ball out of Minshew's hands as much as possible. Giving the ball to Mattison and letting White finish the deal could be the way to go.
