As we pointed out on the latest podcast, the ground game of the Oakland Raiders has dipped to historical lows. Their 63 yards per outing marks the worst rate since the 1946 Detroit Lions.
Oakland's dead-on-arrival rushing attack has stunted the progress of rookie passer Derek Carr, whose winless squad faces the Chiefs this evening on Thursday Night Football, airing exclusively on NFL Network.
Carr has shown glimmers of hope, but he can't do it all for an offense dialing up a higher percentage of three-and-outs than any squad since 2005.
Akiem Hicks has been a stalwart in the middle of the Chicago Bears defense going on six seasons, an underrated body-mover stuffing the run and penetrating the backfield.
The 31-year-old would like to continue that job in Chicago for the rest of his career.
"I'll do everything in my power to do so," he said Tuesday, via the Chicago Sun-Times. "That's what I want. That's what I feel at the end of the day is right for me. I started a piece of my career here, and it grew, and it blossomed, and I've just had so many joy-filled moments as a Chicago Bear. I can't see myself in another jersey."
A third-round pick out of Regina (Canada) in 2012, Hicks spent three seasons with the Saints before being traded to New England three games into the 2015 season. He then inked a two-year contract in Chicago in 2016. A four-year, $48 million extension came a year later after a dominant 54-tackle, 7-sack season from Hicks.
With the final year of his contract commenced, Hicks desires an extension that would potentially take him through the end of his career.
"I'd be lying to say that it was never a present thought," Hicks said. "During the course of this offseason, there was a great deal of energy spent pondering how this was all going to play out.
"Unfortunately, you don't get to choose [how long you stay]. ... I have to accept that. It's a present thought in my mind, but it can't be my main focus."
Hicks' situation highlights the attrition to a once stingy Bears defense. With most of the key pieces of the secondary gone and the once-dominant front aging, Chicago's defense looked a shell of itself in its Week 1 loss to L.A.
While Hicks wants a new deal, he's just going about his business to prove he's earned it.
"It's business, and it's very professional," Hicks said. "I've been hired to do a job, and the job isn't done yet, so I'm going to continue to play and put my best foot forward and carry myself as the professional that I have been for my entire career."
After generating three tackles, half a sack, and two QB hits in the season opener, Hicks showed that he's still a potent player -- one of the few remaining on a sagging defense. Whether that's enough to convince the Bears front office he's worthy of a new contract remains to be seen. But if Chicago doesn't pay him, the veteran will undoubtedly find work in free agency.
If anything, Olson has proven that he can be flexible. He changed schemes multiple times last season to suit Terrelle Pryor's gifts before altering the playbook to fit Matt McGloin.
That revolving door under center and elsewhere speaks to the core problem: The Raiders have nobody to hang their hat on. Olson isn't threatening to win The Assistant Coach of the Year trophy, but few play-callers are dealing with such a barren cupboard.
"We'll just keep working every day and try to get better," Olson said. "Again, it's not my first year as a coordinator. It's certainly not my best, obviously. But there will be better days ahead."
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews Chiefs-Raiders and reacts to the drama in D.C. as well as Adrian Peterson's suspension. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.