The Oakland Raiders and new head coach Jon Gruden have put together a disastrous 2018 season, dropping eight out of their first nine games played. As the losses pile up, the team has also lost playmaking wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
Things continue to get more difficult for the team as the weeks move along, with Gruden announcing that Bryant could miss a few weeks due to a PCL injury, according to Michael Gehlken of The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Jon Gruden said Raiders WR Martavis Bryant (PCL) “could be a couple weeks, could be longer.” Rookie seventh-round pick Marcell Ateman to make regular-season debut Sunday.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 14, 2018
Bryant hasn't produced like the Raiders hoped when they acquired him, as he has struggled to with just 19 catches on 27 targets for 266 receiving yards and zero touchdowns along with three rushes for 23 yards. He has recorded fewer than 50 receiving yards all but twice this season while failing to notch more than 100 receiving yards in any game. Bryant hasn't fit into the mold in a consistent manner.
At that same token, the Raiders have not operated with the type of offense that best utilizes Bryant's size and speed down the field. When the Raiders throw, they mostly work through the short and intermediate parts of the field. This injury will now prevent him from being able to prove he can be a legitimate deep threat over the next few weeks of the season.
Beyond just showing he can be an effective part of the puzzle offensively, Bryant needs to prove to other teams around the league that he can be a valuable asset to pursue in free agency next offseason. In the meantime, he will be on the mend.
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