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The Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line has been a problem all season long and it was never more evident than in their last game on Monday night.
Quarterback Derek Carr has been sacked four times and the team averaged just 2.7 yards per rushing against the Chargers. Year-round, the Silver and Black allowed 12 sacks – tied for fifth in the NFL – and an average of 3.3 yards per carry – the second-worst in the NFL.
One of the biggest culprits in pass protection was rookie right tackle Alex Leatherwood. Through Focus on professional football, Leatherwood is responsible for four sacks and gave up 18 presses, while also ranking second among the worst pass protectors in that position.
Prior to the draft, many believed the eventual first-round pick would be better suited for guard for this reason and apparently the Raiders coaching staff are now seeing it as well. Vincent Bonsignore of Las Vegas Review recently shared that Leatherwood was taking repetitions in training on the right guard and that substitute Brandon Parker intervened on the right tackle.
In week 2 Parker played the entire second half and gave up two pushes and no sacks, so Las Vegas should at least get a small increase in pass protection if this change continues. This is good news as Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn are coming to town this weekend.
When it comes to ground play, Jermaine Eluemunor has been the main right guard for the Silver and Black so far this year, but it looks like that will change. For what it’s worth, Eluemunor got a 49.5 blocking rating from PFF, which ranks 65th in position but is still above John Simpson’s 40.2 rating. Bonsignore also confirmed that Simpson is still at left guard in practice.
Coming back to Leatherwood, he’s actually had some success as a run blocker this season, although there’s still nothing wrong with a 53.9 rating in that area. A move inside could help boost his rating, however, and he has experience on guard having played there as a sophomore in Alabama.
As of yet, there has been no news regarding the center changes, as Andre James would likely be the next starting offensive lineman to lose his spot if more shuffle occurs. James has struggled in passing protection and ground play this year, while veteran Nick Martin sits behind him.
Again, the Bears have an impressive defensive line, so this isn’t the best week to try and tackle offensive line issues, but the Raiders will need to get by and figure it out quickly.
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