MODS PLEASE LOCK | The Oakland Raiders 2015 Season Thread: Week 17 @ Kansas City / 7-8

How many wins will the Raiders have this season?

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it's about to be 7am. luckily the game starts in an hour. can't imagine having to wait all day.
 
Big key for Raiders has been blocking up front
By Vic Tafur November 7, 2015 Updated: November 7, 2015 7:16pm

View media item 1779643Donald Penn (72) runs with a ball he caught after it was tipped by a Denver defensive player in the fourth quarter. The Oakland Raiders played the Denver Broncos at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The Raiders lost 16-10. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Donald Penn (72) runs with a ball he caught after it was tipped by a Denver defensive player in the fourth quarter. The Oakland Raiders played the Denver Broncos at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The Raiders lost 16-10.

PITTSBURGH — Donald Penn was down 9-2 in a game of hoops with backup offensive lineman Matt McCants. The Raiders’ starting left tackle proceeded to win 11-9, and he cracked a smile when he was asked if there were any fouls called during his later run.

“Nah,” Penn said. “It definitely got a little rough in there.”

That’s the Raiders’ offensive line in a nutshell: big, athletic and able to get a little nasty at times. The five 300-pounders (and we’re being polite) are a big reason why Oakland (4-3) has won two games in a row and has a chance to make a statement win at Pittsburgh (4-4) on Sunday.

“We have a good tool that we can out-quick teams up front,” Penn said.

Penn was an all-state high school basketball player, and right tackle Austin Howard and injured tackle Menelik Watson played basketball in college. Center Rodney Hudson looks like a track star reflected in a funhouse mirror, the way he gets downfield on blocks.

“Austin Howard, he’s one of the biggest guys I’ve ever seen in my life, and he’s 15 yards downfield getting a cut block,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “Obviously, we see Rodney running downfield, Gabe (Jackson), Donald, you see (J’Marcus) Webb sprinting downfield.

“When you really sit back and see it, you’re like, ‘Guys that big should not be able to move that fast and get that block, reach that guy.’ It’s definitely impressive.”

It’s a skill that offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave uses a lot, with linemen pulling and getting downfield to block on running plays.

The Raiders have improved from averaging 5.1 yards a play a year ago at this time (that ranked 29th in the NFL) to 5.9 this season (seventh). The past two Sundays, with the line protecting Carr and opening holes for running back Latavius Murray, Oakland has jumped on teams, scoring on its first seven drives against San Diego and six of its first seven against New York.

“We’re big and decently athletic,” offensive line coach Mike Tice said. “Early in the season, we had some lapses in run blocking and not in pass blocking. Which I guess makes sense, since we’re a throw-first team. And it’s critically important to protect our quarterback.”

Tice has seen the improvements the last month, both with footwork and the timing on combination blocks.

“This group studies hard, and they ask good questions,” Tice said.

Pro Football Focus ranks the Raiders second in pass-blocking efficiency, charting them with preventing quarterback pressure on 87 percent of the passing snaps. Overall, for run- and pass-blocking, PFF has Oakland sixth.

The left side of the line gets most of the attention, with Jackson a future Pro Bowler in between Penn and big free-agent signee Hudson. The right side also has been strong, which is especially impressive considering Webb is a former tackle who had not played guard and Howard was given the job after Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon in training camp.

At 6-foot-7, 330 pounds, Webb is doing a good job of remembering to keep his pad level down, Tice said. And Howard is smiling again, after a move to guard last season didn’t work well.

“He is so happy to be back at his old position,” Penn said. “Just mauling people.”

And we can’t forget the sixth, honorary lineman, blocking tight end Lee Smith. He is a brawler who enjoys showing his kids highlights of Daddy pancaking bigger defensive players.

“Lee brings great energy and leadership,” Tice said. “He brings an attitude to the huddle that Menelik did. You have to have a couple of guys on your team that are just a little off.”

The Steelers will be another test, as the Raiders have a chance to be over .500 at the season’s midway point for the first time since 2001.

“It starts in the trenches with our big guys,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said. “They are the engine. You can have a pretty exterior and wheels and all that, but without that engine, it’s tough to go anywhere, right?”

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur

Raiders (4-3) at Steelers (4-4)

When: 10 a.m. Sunday

TV/Radio: Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46 / 95.7

Spotlight on: Raiders’ run defense against DeAngelo Williams. Le’Veon Bell (torn MCL) is a major loss for the Steelers, but Williams is no slouch. He is averaging 4.9 yards a carry on 63 attempts this season, and the Pittsburgh offensive line will be a good test for the league’s No. 2 run defense.

Injuries: Raiders — LB Neiron Ball (knee) is out; DB TJ Carrie (shoulder/hip) is questionable; Steelers — TE Matt Spaeth (knee) is out.

The Big 3

Ben Roethlisberger is 1-4 against the Raiders despite averaging more than 300 yards passing and posting a 97.5 rating. “Their defensive backs like to do a lot of grabbing, holding, and just being physical in general,” he said. “It’s a really good test for our receivers and for me to be accurate.”

The Raiders have not committed a turnover for two games in a row. That hadn’t happened in five years.

Oakland hasn’t won consecutive road games since 2011 and hasn't won two straight games in the Eastern Time Zone since 2002. (The Raiders won at Cleveland in Week 3.)
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Haydens coverage has been ok, he needs to get his head around so he can play the ball.
 
He'll never get his head around, it's just not part of his game it seems. We need to force these FGs and hope the WRs begin separating from the CBs.
 
We all knew Brown was gonna b a problem. We jus gotta score points and contain D Williams. Carr missed Crab on that first roll out killed that drive...
 
Our front 4 is grtting no push and its letting ben sit back and launch at will. Bra is on one leg
 
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