With wide receiver Amari Cooper in Dallas and running back Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve, the Raiders turned to two veterans with a combined to take their place against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Brandon LaFell delivered in Cooper's place, catching three of four targets for 39 yards and a touchdown. Doug Martin did the same filling in for Lynch, rushing for 72 yards on 13 carries. Including this season, the two have a combined 16 years of NFL experience.
"[We] are excited about those two guys," Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson told reporters in Alameda on Tuesday. "They stepped up for us last week and we foresee them doing that again in the future.”
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Olson praised LaFell's versatility, and said that the Raiders believed Martin "still had a lot left in his tank." Their usage Sunday reflected that.
LaFell played more offensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Colts (46) than he had all season (40). Martin, meanwhile, played half as many snaps (28) ... as the previous six games combined.
Quarterback Derek Carr targeted seven different receivers on Sunday, but Lafell finished tied for third with four. He told reporters that it was easy to build a rapport with the veteran receiver, who's been learning the team's schemes since he signed on Sept. 3.
"He can play with anybody," Carr said. "I'm glad that we had some time and all those things, but he’s the kind of guy that you can just throw him in and just play."
NFL
LaFell and Martin will have opportunities to do just that on Thursday against the 49ers. San Francisco's defense is middle-of-the-pack, allowing the 16th-most yards per game in the NFL.