After gaining a lot of momentum over the past few weeks, the Oakland Raiders suffered a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that was marred by sloppy play. Things turned into a shootout thanks to poor defense and the Steelers got the best of the Raiders while injuries hit the roster in a time when Oakland cannot afford them. Preparing to face the Minnesota Vikings next week, the Raiders could be without Latavius Murray.
According to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, Murray suffered a concussion in the loss to the Steelers and is now under the protocol of the league which makes him uncertain for Week 10. Head coach Jack Del Rio confirmed the injury for the running back who left in the third quarter after taking a hit from Mike Mitchell. In order to get back on the field, Murray will have to pass the league tests which could take a week or two depending on the severity. That would be a big hit for the Raiders who have been benefitting from improved play from the running back.
If Murray were to be out for Week 10, Marcel Reece and Taiwan Jones could be the favored two players in the backfield. Jones is returning from an injury. He has been a bigger threat in the passing game, recording 59 yards and a touchdown against the Jets. His best rushing game came against the Chargers when he had 35 yards off three carries. He is not the ideal replacement to Murray, but would be what the Raiders have to go with. Reece could see more time despite being a fullback as he had 21 yards off three carries against the Steelers.
The Raiders need to find a way to rebound from this loss as ball security was an issue for the players. While Michael Crabtree recorded a two touchdowns while Amari Cooper had one, dropped passes were a problem. Cooper had three dropped passes while the team committed three turnovers in the loss. Those simple mistakes are what cost the team the game. On the plus side, Seth Roberts and Mychal Rivera finally got involved in the offense which will be a good thing for Oakland moving forward. Derek Carr needs more help over just Crabtree and Cooper. Having players like Roberts step up will help open up the playbook moving forward.
