Lions vs. Raiders Week 9 Scouting Report: Jon Gruden’s inconsistent group
When the Raiders have the ball
Quarterback Derek Carr has experienced his share of ups and downs in six seasons with the Raiders and seems to have settled into a state of steady if unspectacular play in 2019. He leads the NFL with a 72.1% completion mark, has only taken eight sacks and ranks near the bottom of the league with just four interceptions thrown. Conversely, his middling passing yardage, yards per attempt and touchdown totals have all contributed to Oakland’s average offensive performance thus far.
Carr and the Raiders’ offensive mediocrity is perpetuated by a so-so group of wide receivers, led by the speedy Tyrell Williams. He returned this past Sunday after missing two games with plantar fasciitis, but his 91 yards and one touchdown reception were offset by two costly fourth-quarter drops in a loss to the Houston Texans. He is flanked by rookie Hunter Renfrow and newly-acquired Zay Jones; none of them have more than 20 catches on the year.
The Lions’ shorthanded secondary struggled against the Giants, though cornerback Darius Slay could return this week after missing that contest with a hamstring injury. He would likely spend most of the day matched up with Williams.
The Lions’ biggest concern in the passing game will be tight end Darren Waller, who is in the throes of an impressive breakout campaign. Waller ranks third in the NFL at his position with 496 yards through the air; his previous career-high was 85. Lions safety Tracy Walker suffered a knee injury last week and could be unavailable, meaning Detroit will need a team effort on the back end to slow down the dangerous Waller.
Carr’s low sack total is largely thanks to a stout offensive line, anchored by Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson and guard Richie Incognito. Hudson and his backup Andre James are both dealing with ankle injuries, however. Incognito would likely slide into the middle should both be unavailable.
The Lions were finally able to develop some sustained pressure against the Giants, thanks to some timely blitzes involving linebackers Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard. Edge rusher Trey Flowers also broke out with two fourth-quarter sacks and a forced fumble. The Lions may need to get creative again to penetrate the Raiders’ strong front, and forcing Carr into some undesirable positions in and out of the pocket will be important should they be without starters in the secondary again.
The Raiders’ ground game boasts top ten marks in yards per attempt, yards per game and total yards, and is led by impressive rookie tailback Josh Jacobs. The first-rounder is averaging just under 90 rushing yards per game, 5.0 yards per attempt, and has scored four touchdowns. He runs hard and will present another big challenge for a Lions team that kept the opposition under 112 rushing yards for the first time all season last week.
The Lions will need to be aware of Jacobs particularly on third downs as he has moved the chains 30 times by himself on the turf, and his offense ranks third in the NFL converting nearly 49% of their third-down attempts. The Lions have struggled to get off of the field on third down this year, allowing conversions on 47.3% of opposing attempts, fourth from the bottom in the league.