Happy Homecoming: So Far, Raiders RB Lynch Found Stride

Upon announcing his return to football via a NSFW tweet, hypotheticals floated around Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch all offseason. Having not taken a snap since 2015, analysts and fans alike wondered if Lynch would return as “Beast Mode”, or a shell of his former self. Two weeks into the season, he resembles the Pro Bowler we remember – and he’s doing it on a fraction of carries.

Since being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2007, Lynch has diced through defensive lines with a violent fervor. There are few backs that have defined speed and vision with the brute strength to break tackles and extend plays. And he’s done so behind some questionable lines. But in both Buffalo and as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Lynch was a workhorse. From 2012-14, Lynch ranked in the top 5 in carries for all three seasons. In 2015, a sports hernia limited his play to seven games, in which he rushed for just 417 yards on 111 carries. Shortly thereafter, Lynch retired.

This 2015 limp year, along with nearly two years of inactivity quelled fears of regression for a Raider return. But what many uninformed on the Raiders roster overlooked, was a vast contrast in the personnel surrounding Lynch.

In his time with the Seahawks, Lynch has had a fellow running back rush for over 500 yards twice. From 2011-14, the Seahawks second leading rusher was quarterback Russell Wilson. In that span, Wilson was one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the league, running for his own safety. Not only did Lynch shoulder most of the load on the ground in Seattle, he did it with very little help.

The Raiders possessed the No. 6 rushing attack in 2016, averaging 120.1 yards per game. While leading rusher Latavius Murray departed in the offseason, duo Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington provided a solid 1-2 punch. In addition, fullback Jamize Olawale has doubled as a short-yardage threat. Bringing Lynch into an already-dynamic fold as the power back the Raiders needed was beneficial to both parties. Lynch provided the ability to be a three-down-back, a threat on third downs, something the Raiders lacked in Murray. The backfield core meant Lynch wouldn’t have to overwork himself, allowing Oakland to preserve him for a playoff run.

Through two weeks, the plan has worked just as planned. In addition to the aforementioned backs, receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has doubled as a backer, similar to Ty Montgomery for the Green Bay Packers. Through two games, Lynch is No. 11 in rushing yards with 121 on just 30 carries. He also punched in his first touchdown of the season Sunday in front of his hometown against the New York Jets.

Averaging 4 yards per carry (16th), Lynch has managed to dazzle on both short and long gains. Through two weeks, Lynch has rushed for 7 first downs (T-8th). He’s broken tackles and ran over players (Jurrell Casey). All the while, he’s produced in moderation, as the Raiders have moved to 2-0 for the first time since 2002.

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