Coach vows to keep plugging in the running game.
There is no doubting the Las Vegas Raiders’ running game has been a major disappointment for much of this season as they adjust to life without Josh Jacobs.
The Raiders running game has been ranked at or near the bottom of the NFL all season and they are coming off of a 33-yard rushing performance in a Week 8 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.
49 players have 50+ carries so far this season. Here are the bottom 2 in yards/carry:
48th. Alexander Mattison 3.19
49th. Zamir White 3.04#Raiders— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 28, 2024
Both Alexander Mattison and former starter Zamir White have struggled. Yet, as they prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday in Week 9, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce vows to keep working on getting the rushing attack going.
“We want to run the football, we want to be physical up front and win the line of scrimmage. That didn’t happen (against the Chiefs),” Pierce said. “We got knocked back in critical moments, not all the time, but in critical moments, especially when we were down there at the goal line. And then just really execution, just overall, from the for the team, from the coaching staff, everybody … I want to run the ball, man. I want to be physical.”
While it’s clear Pierce knows the problem is both up front in the run blocking and the execution by the running backs, he is not about to scrap the run game. The Raiders are still going to try Sunday to win on the ground.
“We’ve got to run the ball. Can’t do that. We can’t sit there and throw the ball 50 times, 40 times. We haven’t been successful doing it,” Pierce said. “So, we’ll keep pounding again. On Wednesday we’ll get back out there on early downs and figure out a way to run the ball, right? We try to have different packages. We put [Thayer] Munford in there at tight end a bunch and tried to get him in there. Just get bigger on these guys, just whatever it takes to win the line of scrimmage.”