The Oakland Raiders showed a lot of promise in their big win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. The offense appeared to put everything together while the defense came up with big turnovers to keep momentum in favor of the Raiders. Players returning from injuries and getting into the full swing of things certainly made quarterback Derek Carr's job easier as Taiwan Jones and Clive Walford both had solid games.
Jones is back after an injury and taking pressure of Latavius Murray. While Murray is the workhorse for the Raiders, Jones stepped in on big third-down plays and kept the chains moving forward. While Jones only had three carries for 35 yards, head coach Jack Del Rio believes he showed a lot of promise and could begin to get more playing time than backup Roy Helu.
"He's a good football player. He's stronger than you think. He's really explosive, fast," Del Rio said, via ESPN.com. "We just love what he brings. He's a good player. Special teams wise he shows up. He did a heck of a job matching with one of their really good special teams players yesterday. The role that he had on offense, a couple of key downs that he was involved in and helping us get converted. He did a nice job."
Walford is looking like the same type of player. The Raiders have been looking for a consistent threat at tight end while Mychal Rivera struggles. Walford is quickly gaining a reputation for big plays on the offense. The quarterback ranked third in receiving on Sunday after putting up 42 yards and a touchdown on two catches from two targets. Walford is quickly building the trust of the Raiders coaches and players. According to Scott Blair of CSNBayArea.com, Walford is also expected to get more playing time in the coming games as he outplays Rivera for time.
"He's going to continue to be involved," Del Rio said, via CSNBayArea.com. "We think Clive's a good young football player that has a bright future who we want to develop him and grow him and have him be a big part of what we're doing."
The Raiders have their go-to playmakers in Amari Cooper, Murray and Michael Crabtree. However, the rise of Jones and Walford allow Carr to open up the playbook more and get a little more creative with the defenses. With secondary players all over Cooper and Crabtree, having Jones and Walford making plays eases the pressure on the offense going forward.
