Here are some areas the Oakland Raiders need to focus on after a 35-13 road loss at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday:
Recap: The Raiders were completely outplayed by an underwhelming Miami team Sunday to fall to 0-2. It is the first time the Raiders – who haven’t had a winning record since 2002 --- have started 0-2 since 2007. The Raiders looked overmatched on both sides of the ball Sunday.
Biggest area to fix: Darren McFadden. The terrific tailback has just 54 yards on 26 carries in two games. There is a lot of talk in the Bay Area that McFadden is not a good fit for the West Coast offense used by new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. Knapp was Oakland’s offensive coordinator when McFadden was a rookie. McFadden began to flourish when the Raiders used a power-running scheme and has said he is comfortable in this system. McFadden is too talented to continue to be bottled up. He will break loose at some point.
Biggest area to build on: One of the bigger questions about his team this summer was at tight end. However, veteran Brandon Myers has been a bright spot for the Raiders. He had six catches for 86 yards Sunday and he has 11 catches for 151 yards in two games. The strong blocker has always showed he has nice hands, but if he can come up with five catches a game, it will be a huge bonus.
What to watch for: The Raiders are entering a tough stretch. They host Pittsburgh on Sunday and then go to Denver and then Atlanta after a Week 5 bye. The Raiders have to figure it out soon or they could be in a huge hole.