Raiders’ offensive coordinator says team’s linemen are best in the league
Todd Downing has started his first season as Raiders offensive coordinator at 2-0. His offense leads the NFL with 35.5 points per game heading into Week 3.
For a team featuring Derek Carr, Marshawn Lynch, and the Amari Cooper/Michael Crabtree tandem, it’s easy to forget about the biggest playmakers in the Raiders offense: the offensive line. Downing hasn’t.
“I’ll tell you, it’s impossible to do anything we do offensively without those guys, all five of them up front,” Downing said Thursday. “They are the straw that stirs the drink around here. We’re really fortunate to have them.
“The interior three, in particular, bring such a unique skill set and play at such a high level. In my opinion, they’re all the best at their position in the league.”
Downing’s appraisal shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Raiders’ offensive line was great last year. In 63 pass plays this year, the O-line has allowed a league-low four total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Outside of pass protection and running schemes, Downing said his offensive line brings flexibility on longer plays.
“They’re really the ones that enable us to be so versatile and run some things that might require a lineman to get down field and get a block,” Downing said. “Not just at the line of scrimmage but finishing and springing those long runs.”
“Seattle” audible explained
The Raiders’ first red zone trip in their Week 2 victory over the New York Jets became a topic of conversation. Oakland had the ball on the Jets’ 1-yard line, and Carr yelled “Seattle” for an audible.
The call caught a lot of attention because former Seattle Seahawks running back Lynch was in the formation.
And he was a part of one of the most infamous play calls in Super Bowl history. In Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks elected to pass the ball on the New England Patriots’ 1 as handing off to Lynch in the waning seconds. The result was an interception and it cost Seattle a championship.
Some saw Oakland’s “Seattle” audible as a way to mock the Seahawks’ notorious play call. Downing refuted those claims Thursday.
“We’ve had Seattle in our terminology for a long time, well before Marshawn got here,” Downing said. “…there’s a lot of dummy (terminology) and there’s a lot of real (terminology) and we keep really close tabs on charting the real stuff and what gets paired with it so we know whether we have to change it up or not. But, we’re certainly very aware of that.”
Notables
— Cornerback Sean Smith was a limited participant in practice Thursday for the first time this week. He previously appeared on the Raiders’ injury report with a neck injury. The team added his shoulder injury to its report. It is unclear the nature of the injury, although Smith had shoulder surgery in January. He did not play Sunday against the Jets because of the neck issue.
— Running back DeAndre Washington (hamstring), cornerback Gareon Conley (shin), tight end Jared Cook (shoulder), and wide receiver Cooper (knee) also were limited.
— Keith McGill (foot) and Jamize Olawale (quad) were full participants in practice for the second day in a row. Both missed the first two games of the season.
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Contact reporter Chris Booker at cbooker@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bookerc94 on Twitter.