Whether it's rookie Derek Carr or veteran Matt Schaub at quarterback for the Raiders come Week 1, Oakland plans to lean heavily on its ground game.
"We're gonna run the ball, run the ball, then run it again, until the defense stops us," offensive tackle Donald Penn told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday.
After beefing up Oakland's front five with the addition of Penn and guard Austin Howard, general manager Reggie McKenzie mined the open market to add running back Maurice Jones-Drew alongside the re-signed Darren McFadden.
A healthy McFadden is the better of the two today, but MJD wasn't handed $7.5 million over three years to sit and watch. The Raiders plan to use both backs -- along with Marcel Reece, a favorite of owner Mark Davis -- to bang away at opponents on the ground.
It's a winning idea in July, yet Oakland plays in a division that sent every team but the Raiders to the playoffs last season. Coach Dennis Allen's squad went 1-5 inside the AFC West in 2013 and rarely held the lead, making a time-sucking ground game an impossibility.
Oakland won't go far without a strong passing attack, but if Carr takes the field sooner than later -- as some believe he will -- emphasizing the run makes plenty of sense.
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