I have to admit, yesterday’s victory was bittersweet as I made my annual trip from my hometown of Denver to Oakland for a game. I also admit, picking the Steelers game probably wasn’t the smartest idea. But the game, for financial and timing reasons, was the ideal pick for me to hit the Bay Area.
And oh happy days, haha…
Whatever your feelings towards how Jon Gruden has handled the team in his first season, you have to admit, things look to be turning the corner. With the recent news of Reggie McKenzie not returning next year, the rebuild is in full effect. And I can admit, there were more good takeaways from yesterday’s game than negatives.
First and foremost, it would be idiotic to move on from Carr in the offseason. He once again proved yesterday that he’s a franchise-level quarterback. He delivered with 2 touchdowns in the final 5:30 of the game yesterday. This included a 2-minute drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown with under 30 seconds remaining.
Jared Cook relationship with Carr continues to blossom as he hauled in 7 receptions for 116 yards. His playmaking ability from the TE position makes him a deadly weapon week after week.
Seth Roberts finally flashed his ability to get open and be an asset to the offense with 5 receptions for 76 yards.
I’m really liking the idea of Marcel Atemen being a big part of the team moving forward. He’s a big body target who has shown up late in our 2 most recent victories.
Our offense is finally showing some firepower and outside of a lead back, Right Tackle and #1 Reciever, we aren’t missing much from returning to the 2016 form.
But I still can’t figure out why Jalen Richard isn’t being utilized more in the game plan.
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Onto the defensive.
I know we gave up 40 last week to KC and we benefited from Big Ben missing the majority of the 2nd half. However, there are some young players improving dramatically before our eyes. Most noticeably, Gereon Conley.
Conley has shut down Tyreke Hill and Antonio Brown in recent weeks. His man to man skills look top notch on the film and he’s playing with a high level of confidence. I’m very excited to see just how good he can be.
The Arden Key experiment is turning the corner for the better as the season is nearing its end. He was milliseconds away from forcing a sack, fumble recovery yesterday. Also, if you watch the film, Pittsburgh paid a lot of attention towards him, using a Running Back to chip him all game. An offseason of NFL training with will do wonders for the LSU product.
Another youngster on the defensive side of the ball who’s starting to contribute is Marquel Lee. While he lacks coverage ability right now, he’s becoming a thumper in the run game. Keep an eye on his profession going forward.
Also, don’t forget, Maurice Hurst didn’t even suit up for the game.
The win doesn’t really hurt our draft stock. There isn’t much of a difference between the top 3 prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, with Cincinnati and Denver games in the upcoming weeks, don’t be surprised if we win another game or 2 before seasons end. Don’t worry though, players will fall in the draft becomes teams either reach for players or fill a position of need. With 3 first round picks and 70 million plus in cap space, Oakland will be fine regardless of where our 1st pick falls in the 2019 NFL Draft.
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