Marshawn Lynch of the Oakland Raiders has not exactly been on “Beast Mode” in the first three games this season. Still, his presence has been acknowledged, and it has made some impact on the field for the Raiders. Now, will Lynch have that spark to put him on “beast mode” against the Denver Broncos?
So far in three games of the 2017 season, Lynch has 139 yards with a touchdown with the Silver And Black. His status as a running back this season has been more than decent until week three. The Washington Redskins made sure that Lynch did not go on “Beast Mode” and held him to a mere 18 yards on six carries.
It was that week three against the Redskins that put Lynch that put a stun to his stats and momentum. Now, he faces a tougher running defense, the Broncos. So far, they have not allowed a running back to score, and they will give Lynch a tough task for week 4.
The Denver Broncos running defense
The Broncos have been nothing but impressive with their defense this season. So far, the Broncos have only allowed 52 yards on the ground against them. Additionally, no running back in the first three weeks of this season has been able to score against Denver.
Three good running backs have been stunned by the Broncos this season. Melvin Gordon of the Los Angeles Chargers was held to only 54 yards, despite having a 21 yard run on his first carry.
Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys was held to nine yards on eight carries. As for LeSean McCoy from the Buffalo Bills, he was held to 21 yards on 14 carries.
With the Broncos being one of the best running defenses, Marshawn Lynch is going to have a tough time in Denver. However, Lynch is known as “Beast Mode” and has plenty of time to uphold that reputation.
Lynch could explode against the Broncos since nothing is very consistent in football.
The Broncos running defense could falter under a sweet running back like Lynch. His passion for the sport is intense, and his bad game against Washington last week might have been a speedbump. Actually, the whole Oakland squad had a bad performance, but Lynch could get that momentum gain in Denver if confidence is held high by the Silver and Black.
Other factors the Raiders need to accomplish
The Oakland Raiders need to have their main wide receiver Amari Cooper ready for battle. Cooper has been dropping too many balls this season, and it will need to stop against the Broncos. Passing will be a major attack force against Denver, so it needs to be a well-oiled machine. That means that Cooper will need to catch some balls.
Of course, other receivers will make their way into the attack, but Cooper needs to lead it. He is the main receiver and needs to act like it against a divisional rival like the Broncos. This will also give quarterback Derek Carr more space to work with, and things should fall into place if they all do their part.