A lot has changed from the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders season compared to the 2021 Las Vegas Raiders season, with two games down there are some differences, yet there is one similarity that stands out. The 2020 Raiders and the 2021 Raiders both started out 2-0.
What is different about this 2-0 start though compared to last year? Are these Raiders destined to build upon a winning culture or bound to collapse around the holiday season once again?
Now it is far too early to tell how the Raiders will look whenever the playoff races may really begin to shape. But it is to be duly noted that this year in only two games the Raiders have made some huge strides from last year defensively and are prepared to put anyone out on the field when their number is called.
The Differences: Josh Jacobs, New Offensive Line and a Defense.
Josh Jacobs through two games in 2020, resulted in 181 yards and three touchdowns. For Jacobs in 2021, he has only been involved in one of the two contests, putting up 34 yards and two touchdowns.
This has nothing to do with the ability of Jacobs as a pure runner and a major focal point in the Raiders offense. Yet, everything to do with Jacobs health.
Jacobs, is dealing with a turf toe injury currently and in his young career he has been hurt in every season. A high ankle sprain last season and clavicle fracture in his rookie year.
Without Jacobs on the field the Raiders have begun to prepare for these types of injuries to core players, Peyton Barber and Kenyan Drake were not heavy features in the run game in the first two games. Although both of them helped the Raiders move to the 2-0 start, Barber in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers was able to carry and protect the football in attempts to kill the clock and set up the game-sealing Daniel Carlson field goal.
Jacobs will likely be listed questionable throughout the next few games as he deals with his turf toe injury, this creates a very different looking backfield and demands the Raiders game plan to throw the ball more.
The running back rotation is not the only difference from last year in the first two games but so is the offensive line. Over the offseason the big men who protect quarterback Derek Carr, had to get some reps in with one another and become familiar with each other.
So far throughout the first two games, new center Andre James has performed shaky at times, which is much different than from when Carr was taking his snaps from All-Pro Rodney Hudson last year. James has put a couple of bad snaps on the ground in these first two games but luckily none of them has caused a turnover.
More importantly this offensive line features some true youth across the line, John Simpson a second year player that is plugged in at left guard until a return of Richie Incognito. Rookie Alex Leatherwood is over at the right tackle position and is a huge investment in what the Raiders want at the position, especially after last year's falling out with big ticket free agent signing Trent Brown. Leatherwood's progress will be well documented throughout the season but within just the first two games it is less about just his progress but more about the revolving door on the offensive line.
Offensive line coach Tom Cable has received huge praise when it comes to keeping that new and young line ready to work when anyones number is called. In the win against Pittsburgh, the offensive line came up huge in protecting Carr in the clutch moments of the game and keeping their leader upright.
The last difference between last year's 2-0 start and this season's 2-0 start, is certainly the defense. Las Vegas under Gus Bradley's defensive scheme have proved they can bring much more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
In 2020 within the first two games, the Raiders defense only generated 24 pressures on the quarterback along with only two sacks. In 2021 the Raiders defense generated 46 pressures on the quarterback with five sacks.
Turnovers is also something this 2021 defense has brought to the attention of the league through these first couple of games. Las Vegas has been bottom tier of the league when it comes to taking the ball away, in week one the defense made Lamar Jackson fumble twice and in week two forced Ben Roethlisberger into an interception while also getting off of the field on fourth downs.
A defense now featuring a young, motivated and passionate leader in Maxx Crosby has shown major strides in making the Raiders a team that can potentially win games not just with Derek Carr’s heroicis.
The Similarities: Derek Carr, Hunter Renfrow and the Two-Minute Drill.
The debates over Carr’s capability and or relationship with head coach Jon Gruden is nearly wasted breath at this point. To cut to the chase and look at Carr’s performances from each of the winning starts to the past two seasons, Carr tossed for 521 yards and four touchdown passes in 2020 and has 817 yards and four touchdown passes in 2021.
In his eighth straight season as the Raiders signal caller, he is getting the Raiders off to a proper start to the season and showing his consistency as the perfect quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now, in Las Vegas wide receivers are handled a bit differently than in other offensives. Tight end Darren Waller is the primary target on most plays but a man who really comes in to make clutch catches is and has been Hunter Renfrow.
Carr's third down target has been a constant pain in the side of opposing defenses in his first three years in the league. Renfrow has 11 catches for 127 yards this year and all have been of the first down seeking value on a crucial third down.
Renfrow is a forgotten receiver on the Raiders offense as Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards line up on the outside. Still, Renfrow coming from the slot constantly rips up defenses when the Raiders win.
Last season in total the Raiders two-minute drill was one of the best in the league. Six times the Raiders had the ball inside two minutes before half last year and six times they scored. That remains the same through two games this season, in week one the Raiders tripped a deficit down to four from 14 against the Ravens and in week two was able to come down the field to put up precious points that added up in the win against the Steelers.
This is a very consistent trait from the Las Vegas Raiders and it is a very important similarity of the positive things that the Raiders did last year transferring over to this year.
2-0: Now What?
The Raiders have started 2-0 for the third time in the last five seasons. All to miss the playoffs in each of those three seasons.
Las Vegas has made strides and obvious improvements in just the first two games but it is the entire body of work that needs to be put together to be taken seriously within the AFC West, by the new home city of Las Vegas and the entire NFL.
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