Rookie offensive tackle Kolton Miler had a strong start to this season. Now he’s just trying to stay upright.
Miller suffered a knee injury recently and is a member of the walking wounded. He’s playing with a knee brace and hurting. The lineman – drafted in the first round because of his athleticism – can’t move the way he wants. In Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks in London, Miller was beaten and pushed around as he gave up 2½ of the six sacks on Derek Carr. Last week, Miller gave up three sacks in a loss to the Chargers.
His injury and performance are part of the Raiders' fall to a 1-5 record as they head into their bye week.
Miller is playing hurt, left guard Kelechi Osemele is out and so is right tackle Donald Penn (who’s been replaced by rookie Brandon Parker). Center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson also are playing hurt. Jon Feliciano, who has replaced Osemele, was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a rib injury. The O-line has now given up 17 sacks through six games. Two years ago, Carr was sacked 16 times total. In 2017, he was sacked 20 times. If Carr manages to finish 2018 still standing, it will be a minor miracle.
After the final sack of Carr late in the game, head coach Jon Gruden said there was no way Carr could do his job the way the Seahawks were coming through the offensive line.
“Too much fire around the quarterback,” said Gruden. “We didn’t get an opportunity to step up in the pocket and go through progressions. It was closing in quick. You know, Derek was on the run a lot, and he got hit too much. We can’t allow that to happen. We just can’t do it.”
As Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted, “the offensive line entered the day battered and became more so.”
Sports
In addition to being sacked six times, Carr also absorbed 10 other hits while passing.
Wrote the analytic website Pro Football Focus: “Seattle’s pass rush was relentless, and Oakland’s offensive line just could not get the job done. Carr had pressure in his face virtually every time he dropped back to pass, leaving the Raiders’ passing offense dead in the water.”
At least the Raiders’ battered offensive linemen will have some time to heal. The Raiders’ won’t play again until Oct. 28 vs. the Colts at O.co Coliseum.
