It might take a time for the Raiders to figure out their offensive identity under Luke Getsy, and one player to keep an eye on as the season moves forward is running back Zamir White.
White was one of the great stories at the end of the 2023 season. He ran for 397 yards in the final four games of the season and averaged 4.7 yards-per-carry during that stretch. It looked like he was in line for a breakout season in 2024, especially after the Raiders did not re-sign Josh Jacobs.
It might end up that White will have a big year, but early indications are that he will be a part of a timeshare with veteran running back Alexander Mattison. That was the case on Sunday against the Chargers, and Getsy confirmed this week that the Raider running backs will split time going forward.
Additionally, there is one other detail to keep an eye on with White.
“I’m not sure Zamir White is a great back for this type of offense,” The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen said this week on the Just Win podcast.
“I’m not putting the blame on Zamir White [after Sunday’s game], I’m just saying I don’t know on a grander scope if he’s a good back in this type of system, which is why I think maybe they want to get Mattison in and get him some more carries because he’s from the zone system in Minnesota,” Nguyen continued. “You need a guy that could make those cuts and be fluid, finding those holes in the outside zone. White was better when they are running some more inside stuff… so maybe they get good at running both.”
For what it’s worth, Tony Romo made a comment on the CBS broadcast during Sunday’s game that was in line with Nguyen’s assessment.
Looking at this run by White in the third quarter, you see the kind of cuts Nguyen is talking about and it’s fair to wonder if White’s running style might not be best suited for the kind of cuts required in Getsy’s zone scheme.
It’s not necessarily a concern for now, but White’s production in Getsy’s offense will definitely be something to keep an eye on.
Beyond the running backs, there will also be a learning curve for the Raiders’ offense line. Lincoln Kennedy talked about that dynamic this week.
Via his podcast, The Morning Grind:
“The offensive line has to be able to open up holes and it was very frustrating, the fact that nothing got done, you know, during the Charger game. Second down and one, third down and one, fourth down and one. They couldn’t pick it up. It’s a little disheartening.
To me, the reflection goes on the fact this offensive line hasn’t played together. Keep in mind, the guys on the other side of the ball get paid, too… it’s not like it’s going to be an easy win all the time. But when you talk about playing together and being together, I think that resonates, because on the lines that I played with and we had success on short yardage, there were a couple of things that were all part of it.
Go back to the days of Zack Crockett. Zack Crockett was familiar with how we blocked 14 Blast, so he knew where to hit the hole. A little bit of a different blocking scheme… than where we are now, but my point is that collectively as an offensive line, we had to play together and this offensive line that started this past weekend against the Chargers has not played collectively together. You’ve had bits and pieces here and there, but they have not played together. That resonates when it comes to being effective.”
It’s worth noting that Mattison’s rushing average against the Chargers (3.8) was barely ahead of White (3.4), so there wasn’t a huge discrepancy between the running backs in week one. We’ll revisit the conversation after the Baltimore game and see if this continues to be a talking point or not.
x: @raidersbeat
Should’ve kept Josh. He is an actual proven NFL RB. Z. White is not and he knows it. The only reason Z has the job is Tom Telesco is not a fan of paying a RB.