Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Kenyan Drake.
The Las Vegas Raiders can’t catch a break this season. They’ve already been without two starting offensive linemen for most of the year due to injury in Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good, and the injury issues on offense are continuing to pile on. Tight end Darren Waller missed Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team and it remains to be seen when he’ll return to the field. Now, the Raiders will no longer have their No. 2 running back the rest of the season.
Kenyan Drake had to get carted off the field against Washington on Sunday after taking an awkward hit to his ankle. The Raiders’ worst fears were realized as the ankle is broken, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Raiders RB Kenyan Drake suffered a broken ankle in today’s game, sources say, and he is out for the season. Drake, the team’s second-leading rusher, was ruled out quickly in the loss to the Washington Football Team.
Drake hasn’t been having as big of a season as the Raiders were hoping when they gave him $11 million guaranteed in the offseason. However, he has shown up in some big spots and is 13th in the NFL in receiving yards from a running back with 291. He’ll now have to wait until next season to carve out a bigger role.
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This Is Bad News Considering Josh Jacobs’ Injury Issues
GettyJosh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders brought Drake in this offseason so that they could have one of the best running backs duos in the NFL between him and Josh Jacobs. That wasn’t the case before Drake got hurt. The Raiders have the fifth least rushing yards of any team this season.
It hasn’t helped that Jacobs has been banged up for most of the season. He’s missed two games due to injury and is frequently seen wincing in pain and limping off the field in games that he has played. With Drake done for the year, the Raiders will likely rely on Peyton Barber to take most of the backup load. Jalen Richard has been with the team for a long time but he’s still mostly used as a third-down running back. Richard can replace some of the receiving skills that Drake brought to the team. However, the Raiders really need Jacobs to stay healthy or the running game will somehow be even worse than it has been.
Raiders Need to Rely on Pass Going Forward
While the Raiders are still in playoff contention, it certainly feels like those hopes are pretty much crushed for the team. If the team hopes to go on a run over these last five games, they need to make major changes. One change they need to make is to stop trying to run the ball. Obviously, every team hopes to establish the run but the Raiders don’t have the personnel on the offensive line to make that happen. Add the fact that Jacobs is always banged up and Drake is out for the season and it’s obvious that the team needs to change their approach.
This season, the team is 6-0 when quarterback Derek Carr throws for over 300 yards and 0-6 when he doesn’t. When the passing game is going, this Raiders team is essentially unbeatable. It’s time to give the keys to Carr the rest of the season and see what he can do. The Raiders need to know if he’s the quarterback of the future. With a new head coach likely coming in next season, Carr has a lot to prove over the last five games.
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