Boy, it happened quickly Sunday didn't it?
With just under two minutes left in the first half, the Oakland Raiders led the New York Jets 14-10. Then, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, poof, the Raiders had gone on a 35-10 run, eventually felling the Jets 45-20 to improve their record to 2-0.
At game's end, Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing's group had totaled over 400 yards, and all the weapons we've heard about all offseason were on full display in the rout of the Jets.
The Raiders trio of running backs totaled 123 yards on the ground, Derek Carr threw for 230 yards, and Michael Crabtree finished the day with an impressive three touchdowns, just the second time in his career that he's accomplished that feat.
Cordarrelle Patterson even got involved in the ground attack, taking one of his three carries on the afternoon 43 yards for an emphatic, explosive score.
With Crabtree and Amari Cooper out wide, Marshawn Lynch leading the ground attack, and Jared Cook the ever-constant threat in the middle of the field, as an opposing defensive coordinator, you're really left with a bunch of unappealing choices as far as who to cover when you meet the Silver and Black.
"I would not want to be a defensive coordinator going against us, man," said running back DeAndré Washington postgame. "We have a lot of weapons, and that's a testament to TD [Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing]. He knows how to get different guys involved, play to our strengths, so that's the biggest thing. He does a good job with his play calls as well."
"Got a good group of men that are committed to being special," Head Coach Del Rio added. "They're working really hard at it. Every week is a new set of challenges. To understand the protection issues, to understand the people that we're playing against, and the things that we want to be able to do to attack them, that's just a collective effort."
The Raiders Week 2 effort truly was collaborative in nature, with nine players hauling in a pass from Carr, and four more toting the rock. And while Lynch led the way with 12 carries against the Jets, running back Jalen Richard is a fan of how the touches are currently being dispersed, for one big reason.
"They're efficient touches," Richard explained. "Those are touches that could be potentially explosive plays. They're efficient. They're to the look that we want. It's a game plan thing, and the people upstairs, and TD [Downing], they're doing a great job making sure they're getting everybody in the best position to be successful."
And successful is precisely what the Silver and Black were against the Jets, putting up 40 points in a game for the first time since 2010. The ever-efficient Carr was just that once again, completing 23 of 28 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Now those numbers – while impressive – aren't the type of 300-plus-yard performances we've grown accustomed to seeing from Carr, but ask "DC" and he's quite alright with how everything played out against Todd Bowles' team.
"Stats are cool, but I'm into winning," Carr said. "So, I don't care if we run for 500 yards, just the fact that I get to be a part of this team and this city, be a part of something special that we're trying to do, I'm completely good with that."
The Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2002, the offense is rolling, and headed into Week 3, Downing's group looks like it's going to be capable of doing some pretty dynamic things week in and week out.
"I've never been around this much talent on one team at one time, so this is definitely a special time to be a Raider right now," Washington said. "We hungry, so we're looking forward to keeping it going."
The Silver and Black will look to do just that next week in the nation's capital on primetime television against the Washington Redskins.
