On Sunday Marshawn Lynch took one step back in time, channeling his inner “Beast Mode”. The Oakland Raiders running back looked like he jumped out of a time machine. On a day where the Giants inner team turmoil soaked up most of the headlines, Lynch carved out his own. Hesingle-handedly showed the Giants the meaning of “Town Bidness”.
Immediately after the Giants went three-and-out on their opening drive, Lynch went into attack mode on two runs. That set the Raiders up a third and short on Oakland’s own 49-yard line. Next, Carr handed the ball to Lynch who went untouched , burst into the open field for a 51-yard touchdown for the Raiders opening score. As soon as he hit the open field the stadium erupted in cheers when it became evident he was going to take it to the house.
The running game stayed steady yet unimpressive for the rest of the afternoon, albeit with Lynch occasionally picking up a necessary first down. Todd Downing’s play calling left something to be desired, as the offense sputtered versus a depleted Giants team. Not only did Lynch’s first scoring drive set the tone, but it kept the Giants honest. Worrying about Lynch confounded the the whole day.
Moreover, Lynch dominated the touches out of the backfield with seventeen to the next closest six, belonging to DeAndre Washington. Jalen Richard fumbled three times, though not losing any of them. The discrepancy of touches along with the fumbling issues of Richard solidified Washington’s role as the backup to Lynch.
Finally, Lynch dominated the day and his impressive run was what put the Raiders on the right track to start the day. Lynch’s impact on the game cannot be understated and his importance only grows every game, as the playoffs get nearer. His touches have gone up dramatically since the Denver game where he got a whopping twenty-six. Todd Downing realized that the ball needs to be in his hands in order for the offense to operate properly after underutilizing him the first half of the season. As the saying goes, better late than never.
