Lee Smith could be critical for the Raiders on Sunday
Last season, the Oakland Raiders ran more six man offensive line sets than anyone else in the league. The reason why? Because Lee Smith was injured. Smith is essentially an extra lineman for the Raiders except he’s meaner and is an eligible receiver.
Yes, I just said Lee Smith is meaner than offensive linemen.
That’s the thing about Smith, he contributes a ton of value in terms of his blocking ability, but he also brings an edge of toughness and aggression. If the Raiders were a hockey team, Lee Smith would be their enforcer. Smith plays up until the last echo of the whistle and is often times seen drilling his opponent into the ground as the whistle is blown.
Lee Smith is the kind of guy you hate when he’s on the other team but love when he’s on your team.
And that mentality will be in high demand in Denver on Sunday. The Raiders were humiliated on national television last weekend and looked like a team that had no desire to fight back after being punched in the face. This week, if the Raiders want to bounce back, they need to do the punching and Lee Smith is just the guy to throw those punches.
But Lee Smith is important this weekend not just because of the mentality and toughness he brings, but also because he will be very important schematically. Last weekend, Smith only saw 12 snaps on offense and I expect that number to sky rocket this weekend.
The key to beating Denver will lie in the run game and in pass protection, two areas where Lee Smith can bring an extra edge to the Raiders. Denver has one of the league’s best secondaries and you don’t want to test them if you don’t have to. A great way around that is by establishing a strong run game early on. And when you do have to throw the ball, you want to make sure the elite pass rush on Denver, isn’t in Derek Carr’s face all day.
Cue Lee Smith.
As the Raiders’ sixth lineman, Smith plays an important role in both the run game and the passing game as an extra blocker. He can help pave the way for Marshawn Lynch on early downs then help Marshall Newhouse defend the right side of the line where Von Miller often lines up.
He won’t show up on the stat sheet very much, if at all, but Lee Smith will quietly be one of the most important Raiders on Sunday in Denver.
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