HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders coach Klint Kubiak emphasized, shortly after Las Vegas lost 30-27 to Kansas City on Sunday, the importance of getting his team’s stagnant running game going.
asserted
game → emphasize → importance
He said any success “will be a big factor in us being a better football team.”
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us → say → ?
Las Vegas is somehow 3-1 with a ground game that averages an NFL-worst 3.13 yards per carry, and its 93 yards per game is not far from the bottom.
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yards → average → bottom
It’s a problem the first-year coach inherited.
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coach → ’ → ?
The Raiders were the league’s worst in both categories last season, averaging 77.5 yards per game and 3.57 per rush.
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Raiders → average → rush
“I put it on myself,” Kubiak said Monday.
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Kubiak → put → myself
“I got to do a lot better job of putting us in better position.
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I → got → position
We’ve got solid backs, we’ve got a solid offensive line.
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we → get → line
Myself and the coaching staff, there’s plenty of things we can do better for our players.
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we → ’ → players
He wouldn’t elaborate, and no doubt Kubiak doesn’t want to publicize anything that might tip off future opponents.
uncertain
that → elaborate → opponents
It was easy to blame last season’s struggles on an offensive line that failed to provide then-rookie Ashton Jeanty with much running room.
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that → blame → room
He averaged just 1.6 yards per rush before contact, third lowest among backs last season with more than 100 carries, according to Pro Football Reference.
uncertain
He → average → Reference
The Raiders addressed their line by signing three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and veteran left guard Spencer Burford.
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Raiders → address → Linderbaum
Jeanty, taken sixth overall in last year’s draft, and rookie Mike Washington Jr. put together strong training camps, and both shined in Week 1.
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both → take → Week
Jeanty rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries against Miami and Washington had 41 yards on seven attempts.
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Washington → rush → attempts
In the three games since, the Raiders have averaged 80.7 yards on the ground.
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Raiders → average → ground
Take away Washington’s 36-yard touchdown a week ago that helped turn around the game at New Orleans, and that figure is 68.7.
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figure → take → Orleans
“I think we’ve just got to be better, simple as that,” Jeanty said.
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Jeanty → think → that
“Make the plays that are out there; they’re there.
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they → make → plays
It starts with us.
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It → start → us
Got to break tackles and just make bigger plays when they’re available.”
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they → got → plays
What’s working
Brock Bowers is the headliner, but Michael Mayer is putting together such a strong season that the Raiders might have the league’s best tight ends.
uncertain
Raiders → work → ends
Playing through an illness against the Chiefs, Bowers caught six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
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Bowers → play → yards
Mayer hauled in eight receptions for 82 yards.
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Mayer → haul → yards
Oh, and Ian Thomas caught two passes for 32 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown.
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Thomas → catch → touchdown
The tight ends were targeted 23 times.
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ends → target → ?
What needs help
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is going to his tight ends and running backs because the wide receivers haven’t shined.
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receivers → need → ends
Tre Tucker led the wideouts with four catches for 44 yards, but tight ends and running backs accounted for 34 of Cousins’ 48 targets.
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ends → lead → targets
Bowers often lines up wide and is a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses, so maybe not having a No. 1 receiver is less important for the Raiders.
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having → line → Raiders
Cousins continued his hot start to the season, passing for 365 yards.
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Cousins → continue → yards
He was especially effective when the Chiefs played zone defense, which they did most of the game.
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they → play → game
Cousins completed 24 of 37 passes for 308 yards and both touchdowns against the zone, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
uncertain
Cousins → complete → Stats
He and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy lead the league with 11 TD passes.
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He → lead → passes
Dareke Young’s fumble on a kickoff return after the Chiefs had just retaken the lead was a dagger for the Raiders.
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Chiefs → retake → Raiders
Then Las Vegas allowed a punt to be downed at the 1-yard line, putting the offense in an almost impossible situation given there was 1:16 left and the Raiders were out of timeouts.
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Raiders → allow → timeouts
Injuries
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson (groin) will return to practice this week, Kubiak said.
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Kubiak → return → practice
WR Jalen Nailor (concussion) will be evaluated.
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Nailor → evaluate → ?
WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. (undisclosed) is eligible to come off injured reserve, and Kubiak said his staff is discussing the timing.
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staff → come → timing
Key number
26 — The Raiders have scored at least that many points in each of their four games for the first time since a six-game streak a decade ago.
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Raiders → score → streak
They reached that number just once last season, in a 30-29 overtime loss to Jacksonville.
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They → reach → Jacksonville
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
