NFL Insider Jason La Canfora: Why the Raiders’ Offense is Built to Avoid Another Collapse

The Las Vegas Raiders won their opening game last season and then quickly became the worst team in football, with a particularly inept offense that offered no chance to win on an even sporadic basis. There is a real chance they once again win their first game of the season in less than two weeks from now, and the subsequent absolute collapse thereafter doesn’t appear nearly as likely at all. The Raiders do have a discernable strength on offense this season – starting quarterback Kirk Cousins is a demon throwing to tight ends in play action looks – and there is a sense around the league that a move to 12 personnel (two tight ends on the field) is coming in a big way for the Raiders this season. Why 12 Personnel Could Change Everything Even with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, whose rookie season was blighted by the lack of an NFL-level offensive line, banged up again (we wouldn’t be surprised at all if he had to sit out Week 1 with a long grind ahead), there is reason to be bullish on the Raiders’ chances to outscore Miami in the opener. The Dolphins’ offensive depth chart is dreadful. “(QB Malik) Willis doesn’t have anybody to throw the football to,” one NFL exec commented to me as NFL rosters were cut over the weekend. As long as Cousins is healthy, the Raiders are going to be markedly more productive and explosive in 12 personnel. Raiders QBs were just 21st in passer rating out of 12 personnel last season (84.8) with just seven touchdown passes to five interceptions, which is kind of hard to fathom. Could Bowers Finally Get the Service He Needs? Brock Bowers, a recent first-round pick, could be as impactful as anyone in the NFL at the position this season if he gets even modest service from his quarterbacks (eventually first overall pick Fernando Mendoza will get a look but we don’t get the impression the Raiders are eager to expedite that learning curve in the coming weeks). Michael Mayer, a second-round pick in 2023, is a strong second option, and the Raiders have rebuffed trade overtures for him in the past trying to establish multi-tight end sets and “heavy” personnel as a roster strength. “Bowers is going to dominate in this offense,” one general manager opined to me this offseason. Similar sentiments were expressed by advance scouts. The unique blend of size, speed and talent he possesses (6-foot-4, 235 pounds) cannot be overlooked; it was only the ineptitude of others around him in Las Vegas that prevented this from manifesting itself on a weekly basis. Last year the Raiders had at least two tight ends on the field 42% of the time – which was top 10 in the NFL – but new head coach Klint Kubiak, calling plays for the Super Bowl winning Seahawks, utilized it 43% and he didn’t have close to this caliber of tight ends (TEs) available there. In his career, Cousins has completed 202 of 260 career play-action passes to tight ends (78%) with 21 touchdowns and just one interception (123.3 rating). Why Cousins and Kubiak Are a Strong Fit He hasn’t had a group like this before, and Kubiak, who worked with Cousins previously in Minnesota, is implementing footwork and concepts Cousins has already mastered. In Atlanta, Cousins was stationed in the pistol far too often, and even without Jeanty, the Raiders should be more adept at running the ball under center, with Tyler Linderbaum a record free-agent signing for a center this winter, an anchor for them now. “The offensive line was a total disaster last year, there’s no other way to say it,” former Raiders MVP quarterback Rich Gannon told me over the summer. “They couldn’t do anything.” Can the Raiders Avoid Another Offensive Collapse? Cousins understands the quick-passing game at a very high level, and he processes defenses rapidly and is adept at finding his hots even if that line is under duress. And with Rams genius head coach Sean McVay confounding defenses a year ago by leaning into 13 personnel (three tight ends) in ways rarely seen before, expect to see plenty of those looks from the Raiders for both quarterbacks, whenever Cousins does eventually make way for the rookie. The post NFL Insider Jason La Canfora: Why the Raiders’ Offense is Built to Avoid Another Collapse appeared first on Casino.org.