Oakland Raiders need help on offensive line

Jason O. Watson- USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders certainly underperformed on offense this year. They had the talent to score 30 points per game if they wanted to, but there was one thing holding them up: the offensive line.

The obvious gripe with this group was their inability to run block all season. Oakland was the 28th-best run offense in the NFL this season and it was obvious why. Darren McFadden and the running backs had no holes to run through and had to absorb a lot of hits as a result. The injury issues at running back very in the slightest way caused by this because the body can only take so much abuse week in and week out.

The less known objection to the unit was their lack of pass protection. Although Carson Palmer was only sacked 26 times, he was under constant pressure, which affected his ability to progress through his reads. There is a reason the tight end, fullback and halfback were three of the four leading receivers on this team. Palmer was constantly using his checkdowns because he was constantly hurried and needed to find receivers quickly.

The shortcomings of the offensive line were a major issue for the Raiders in 2012. A more cohesive unit would have done wonders for this team and the offense. If Oakland was able to run the ball better or give Palmer more time to throw the offense could have blossomed into a truly special unit and kept the struggling defense off the field. Instead, the line was terrible and the Raiders offense was a dysfunctional unit.

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