There may be a running back controversy in Sin City. Ameer Abdullah garnered just 62% of the Raiders’ snaps despite the absence of first-choice back Alexander Mattison. Instead, Abdullah found himself splitting time with rookie Sincere McCormick, who has broken out with two straight solid performances.
Abdullah was poor against a strong Kansas City Chiefs defense, turning his 10 carries into just 39 yards adding 14 yards on two catches, racking up just 7.3 fantasy points. Meanwhile, McCormick gained 64 yards on the ground from 12 carries and hauled in both of his targets for one additional yard, totaling 8.5 fantasy points, demonstrating the kind of elusiveness and explosiveness that Raiders backs have lacked so far this year.
McCormick’s opportunities should only continue to grow as Las Vegas, who fell to a league-worst 2-10 with the loss to the Chiefs, tries to assess its options for future seasons. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce committed to as much in his Wednesday media availability.
“What you’re seeing on game days on Sundays, and Fridays from last week, is what we saw every day in practice,” he said. “He’s making the most of his opportunity. He’ll keep getting opportunities.”
Still, I’m not optimistic about the fantasy upside of either back in Week 14 against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team with a weak secondary and a league-average rushing defense, especially since the Raiders operate the league’s most pass-happy offense. Even in cold conditions in Kansas City last Friday, head coach Antonio Pierce opted to have quarterback Aidan O’Connell drop back to pass on 55.9% of Las Vegas’ plays.
O’Connell made the most of his opportunities, completing 23 of his 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, and he can expect to find more success against Tampa Bay, whose defensive backs have been torched for 3,325 yards through the air this year, the third-most of any team. Opposing running backs have been successful when they have challenged the Bucs, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, but Tampa Bay’s aerial weakness means Pierce will lean more on his signal-caller than on either back.
Of the two, I prefer McCormick, given that he got 12 carries to Abdullah’s 10 in the loss to the Chiefs and the fact that Pierce stated his intention to rely on him more than that against the Buccaneers. Still, the third member of the Raiders’ backfield coalition, Mattison, might make his return against Tampa Bay after practicing in a limited capacity this week. If the six-year veteran suits up on Sunday, he will siphon already-limited snaps away from the talented rookie.
With all the uncertainty surrounding Las Vegas’ running back situation and the unfavorable matchup against the Buccaneers, McCormick isn’t worthy of a starting grade just yet.
Start or Sit: Sit both Ameer Abdullah and Sincere McCormick.
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