Getty New Las Vegas Raiders WR Tyron Johnson.
It’s been clear over the last two games that the Las Vegas Raiders are missing a capable deep threat. DeSean Jackson was brought in but is 34-years-old and the most notable play in his debut against the Kansas City Chiefs was a costly fumble. Great deep threats are difficult to come by so the Raiders could be out of luck. However, that’s not going to stop them from trying.
The team is bringing in even more speed to the wide receiver corps. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Las Vegas is signing Tyron Johnson to their practice squad but could get called to the active roster soon.
The Raiders should be familiar with Johnson as he played for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. In his two games against the silver and black, he caught four passes for 111 yards and a touchdown while averaging 27.75 yards a catch. Coming out of college, Johnson ran a 4.36 40-yard dash so he can certainly run with the best of them.
He played in five games for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season but was just recently cut. The Raiders clearly saw something they liked out of him and will give him a shot. He has the speed to stretch the field and could trade off snaps with Jackson. That could at least somewhat help open up the Raiders’ offense.
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Derek Carr Defends Jackson Over Bad Fumble
As noted earlier, Jackson’s only notable play against the Chiefs ended in a bizarre fumble. The play came in the third quarter of a close game. Had he held onto the ball and the drive ended in a touchdown, the Raiders would’ve been down 24-21 with some momentum. Instead, Kansas City scored and the team ended up losing 41-14.
It was a disastrous play but quarterback Derek Carr wasn’t ready to throw Jackson under the bus yet.
“With what the coaches asked him to do and what to learn and things like that, I thought he did a great job,” Carr said of Jackson after Sunday’s game. “It’s hard to just come in and pick up this whole offense in a short amount of time, just a couple of days, but I thought he picked it up mentally and did a great job. He did a great job on that deep ball.
“He’s just trying to make a play; I don’t fault him.”
Jackson is a veteran and won’t let the play affect him going forward. However, he can’t make more mistakes if the Raiders hope to have him be a big part of the offense.
First catch as a Raider and first fumble as a Raider for DeSean Jackson.
(Via @NFL)
Raiders Have Enough Weapons on Offense
The Raiders offense has sputtered over the last couple of games, scoring just 30 points combined. Despite the lack of a consistent deep threat, there are no excuses. Carr is a good quarterback, Hunter Renfrow is an elite slot receiver and Darren Waller is one of the three best tight ends in the NFL.
Yes, the team lacks a true No. 1 wide receiver but that doesn’t mean this offense shouldn’t be able to put up points. With a winnable game against the Cincinnati Bengals on the docket, there is no excuse for the Raiders offense to come out and play poorly again.
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