Raiders on pace for fewest team sacks in a decade
The Oakland Raiders were embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, 34-3, in a game that saw the 49ers use their third-string quarterback as starter.
The Raiders are now 1-7 in Jon Gruden’s much-ballyhooed return and looking worse each week instead of better.
While players denied it after the game, it appeared at times that they’d quit on their coach, who has traded away the Raiders’ 2015 first-round pick, Amari Cooper, and 2014 first-rounder, Khalil Mack.
Of Mack, a superbly talented player, Gruden has said that the defense wasn’t that good even with him on the field.
Well, without him, it’s just abysmal.
Sad sacks
Through eight games, Oakland has just seven sacks as a team. As noted by ESPN’s Field Yates, there are currently 10 players who have as many sacks.
Mack is not one of those 10; he has five sacks (and four forced fumbles) for the Chicago Bears, but missed a game with an ankle injury.
Gruden, whether he’s intentionally trolling us all or just really clueless, has said it’s “hard to find” a great pass rusher, and that his team had to find a way to create more pressure on quarterbacks.
Oh, speaking of seven sacks: San Francisco sacked the Raiders’ Derek Carr seven times on Thursday. Then added an eighth of backup A.J. McCarron.
On pace for record yards number
If the Raiders keep up their same pace, and total 14 sacks for the season, it will be the fewest for any team since the Jaguars had just 14 in 2009. The fewest by a team in a 16-game season is 10.0, by the Chiefs in 2008.
After Thursday, Oakland is allowing a league-worst 6.76 yards per play, the highest YPP through eight games since the NFL-AFL merger. (The next-worst team this season is Tampa Bay, at 6.55.)
The Raiders are also tied with Detroit for last in the league in rushing yards allowed, at 144.6 per game, and are 30th in third downs allowed, with opponents converting nearly half (48.5 percent) of their opportunities.
So, yes, Gruden, you need a pass rusher, but you need a lot more than that.
More from Yahoo Sports NFL:
• Charles Robinson: NFL should be worried about Raiders’ unraveling
• Philadelphia prepares for post-Super Bowl baby boom
• Third-string QB Nick Mullens shines for Niners vs. Oakland
• 49ers cheerleader kneels during anthem before Thursday night game
