The Oakland Raiders have not looked like the offensive juggernaut most predicted them to be during the 2017 NFL season. In their Week 8 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, Oakland struggled to move the chains and only managed to put up 14 points.
Marshawn Lynch did not play against the Bills as he was suspended one game for making contact with an official in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lynch has largely struggled to generate yardage on the ground, forcing Derek Carr to put the entire offense on his back.
According to Matt Schneidman of Mercury News, Amari Cooper still believes in the running back:
Marshawn is a great player, great running back, really tough runner,” Cooper said. “So I think he adds value to our offense.”
Lynch has shown flashes of his signature power running style, but it has not translated to much success on the field. The former Seattle Seahawk was brought in to establish Oakland’s ground attack, but is so far finding it difficult to pick up chunk yards on his touches.
The Raiders will need Lynch to find his former self soon if the team hopes to establish the balanced offensive attack they envisioned in the offseason. Hopefully the silver and black figure things out in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins.
