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Lions vs. Raiders Week 9 Scouting Report: Jon Gruden’s inconsistent group

By Jeremy Friedrichs

MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

When the Lions have the ball

The Lions continue to excel throwing the ball, fueled by a strong season by Stafford and a deep and versatile group of receivers. Stafford was at his gun-slinging best on Sunday, eclipsing 300 passing yards for the third time this season. He threw his fourth interception of the season against the Giants, but the Lions will take a turnover here and there from their leader as long as the gaudy passing numbers persist.

The Raiders have been searching for a consistent pass rush ever since Gruden retook the reins last year, and it remains a work in progress. They have registered 13.0 sacks this season, matching their total from all of 2018, so there have been advances.

Nearly half of those takedowns though have come from veteran edge defender Benson Mayowa (5.5 sacks) in his second stint with the team. The Raiders would love to get more production from rookie edge rusher Clelin Ferrell – the fourth overall pick has just one sack on the year, which came back in Week 1.

Despite much speculation, the Lions decided to stand pat at Tuesday’s trade deadline and will continue to employ a running-back-by-committee approach. It didn’t go well last Sunday, as they totaled just 59 yards on the ground against New York. This could continue to be an issue this week as the Raiders surrender only 92.9 yards per game on the ground, ninth-best in the league.

The Lions should have no qualms about sticking to the pass should the running game continue to falter. The Raiders rank near the bottom of the NFL, giving up over 285 yards per game through the air. They trot out an unimpressive group of cornerbacks, including former Lion Nevin Lawson, as well as Lamarcus Joyner, who has been a disappointment after signing a 4-year, $42 million contract with Oakland in the offseason.

The Lions have gotten outstanding performances from wideouts Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola over the past two weeks. Another solid showing on Sunday from at least one of them seems like a good bet at this point.

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