Raiders week 13 offensive report card vs Bills: Early struggles turn to late heroics

After a lackluster opening to the second half and down 15 points, things did not look good for the Oakland Raiders. Yet, 30 minutes later they had scored 29 unanswered points to walk out of Oakland Coliseum with a huge 38-24 victory over the Bills. How did the offense fare in the win?

Offensive Passing

Derek Carr does it again, the Raiders quarterback continues to make an argument for the 2016 MVP as he broke the NFL record with five go-ahead passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter or overtime in a single season. Carr has to be the front-runner for the award with just four games left in the season. Reggie McKenzie needs to pay the man whatever he asks for.

While Carr was solid in the first half, the wide receivers couldn't buy a catch. Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts both dropped wide open touchdown passes, and Roberts also had another horrible drop. Luckily for the Silver and Black, the receiving corps greatly improved during their 29 point scoring onslaught.

Once again, Derek Carr had to play from the shotgun the entire game due to a dislocated pinky, and once again the Raiders offensive line did an incredible job protecting him. The Bills have some serious pass rushers, yet the Raiders offensive line did not give up even a single sack.

Grade: B+

Offensive Rushing

Bill Musgrave emphasized getting Jalen Richard the ball, and it paid off as the undrafted rookie delivered with nine rushes for 53 yards (5.9 yards per carry). For a man of his stature, Richard runs hard and is difficult to tackle, what a find by the Raiders front office.

Speaking of running hard, when Latavius Murray doesn't dance in the backfield, he is a force to be reckoned with. Tay Train added 82 yards on the ground including two touchdowns.

Considering the Raiders offensive line was facing a Bills defensive front consisting of Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, and Jerry Hughes, 139 total yards on the ground with two touchdowns is pretty dang impressive.

Grade: A

Coaching

The Raiders wide receivers were open all game, it isn't Bill Musgrave's fault that their hands consisted of bricks the first half. Musgrave has done an excellent job of putting his players in a position to succeed and it may even lead to a head coaching job for him this offseason. The Raiders would be fortunate to retain their offensive coordinator another year as he is the mastermind behind one of the NFL's most lethal attacks.

Grade: A

Overall Offensive Grade: A-

See the grades for the Defense