Going into the 2022 season, we knew the offensive line would be a problem spot for the Raiders. And in Week 1 against Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, we knew they would be tested.
The unit allowed five sacks in Week 1 and it could have been even more if Derek Carr didn’t get rid of the ball so quickly. They struggled and it certainly wasn’t unexpected.
In a recent article by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, he spoke about the offensive line issue for the Raiders on Sunday. Here is what he had to say about the unit in Week 1:
“How about no. Not after Carr was sacked six times and Las Vegas used three different combinations at what is supposed to be one of the more stable units in the game. Starting rookie Dylan Parham at right guard before replacing him with Lester Cotton Sr., and then having Parham return, then having seventh-round rookie Thayer Munford Jr. replace Jermaine Eluemunor, and Eluemunor return late, says this is a fluid situation.”
The hope is that the offensive line can improve as the season goes on. And luckily, they won’t face pass rushers like Bosa and Mack every week. Still, the unit has a long way to go before they are even close to performing like an average offensive line.