Raiders winners and losers in 17-13 victory vs. Packers

Raiders winners and losers in 17-13 victory vs. Packers

On a night that Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams faced his former team, the Las Vegas defense stole the show, leading the Raiders to a 17-13 win over the Packers in Las Vegas.

The Raiders snapped their three-game losing streak despite failing to score 20 points yet again. Three turnovers by their defense, all interceptions of Packers quarterback Jordan Love, gave Las Vegas the edge.

And though Adams had a quiet night, this was a much-needed win for his current squad. Here are the winners and losers for the week, as the Raiders improved to 2-3.

Winner: LB Robert Spillane

Linebacker Robert Spillane had two of the Raiders’ three interceptions, his first pick resulting in a field goal for the Las Vegas offense and a 10-3 lead.

His second interception helped the Raiders protect their 17-13 lead, the result of a touchdown from running back Josh Jacobs on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The Raiders offense couldn’t turn Spillane’s second pick into points, but Vegas’ defense made those 17 points stand up. Spillane also added nine tackles, helping solve some of the Raiders’ tackling issues from their loss to the Chargers.

Winner: DE Maxx Crosby

Once again, defensive end Maxx Crosby is an easy choice for the winner list. He provided pressure on Love all evening and was a terror defending the run as well. He ended up with four tackles for loss, a QB sack, a QB hit, and five total tackles.

His sack happened in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders protected their precarious 17-13 lead.

 

Crosby’s play got the Las Vegas defense fired up, and on the next snap, Spillane had his second interception after a tipped ball by cornerback Marcus Peters.

Winner: WR Jakobi Meyers

It was supposed to be Adams’ night, but WR Jakobi Meyers paced the Raiders in receiving, catching seven passes for 75 yards and the Raiders’ first touchdown of the evening.

Meyers displayed solid chemistry with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to start the campaign, but an injury a few weeks ago derailed their progress. On Monday, they got their timing back.

Winner: CB Amik Robertson

The Raiders had a new look secondary against the Packers, as cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett were inactive.

Though he played a part in a busted coverage for the Raiders in the third quarter, cornerback Amik Robertson stepped up, sealing the Las Vegas win with a skillful interception in the end zone with less than a minute remaining.

Winner: DC Patrick Graham

The Raiders still haven’t scored more than 20 points this season, but the Raiders defense made sure that this time, 17 points was enough. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham deserves some credit for overcoming a shorthanded secondary and for his defense’s three interceptions.

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs

You can’t hold a good running back down. Raiders RB Josh Jacobs overcame suspect blocking early and often, amassing 69 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He also had five catches for 20 yards.

Despite the Raiders’ poor run game early in the season, Jacobs remains a weapon the opposing defense must game plan for every week, thanks in large part to his determination and talent.

Loser: Offensive line

Garoppolo didn’t have a great game against the Packers and had one costly interception to open the second half. But he’s not the main reason the Raiders can’t score more than 20 points. It’s the offensive line.

Early on, mistakes from center Andre James, guard Dylan Parham, and offensive tackle Kolton Miller stifled the Raiders’ progress. Las Vegas’ first two drives were promising, but both ended in third-down sacks.

After Spillane’s first interception put the Raiders in position to score a touchdown and take control of the game, the line failed to provide a running lane for Jacobs and had already struggled in pass protection, leading coach Josh McDaniels to call back-to-back screen passes in the red zone, which both failed.

And while Jacobs and the run game got going late, the Raiders line has the defense to thank for giving them a lead to protect; it’s much easier to run block with a lead than pass block in a comeback attempt. But thus far, this line can’t pass block or run block consistently and is the No. 1 reason for the offense’s struggles.

Loser: WR Davante Adams

Adams’ career is already Hall-of-Fame worthy, and he was facing his former team. While he’s said the Raiders must start winning immediately, no matter how, Adams surely must figure he’d be the reason for multiple Raiders wins this year.

So far, that’s not the case. He only had four catches for 45 yards in this win and just like the Raiders first win against the Broncos, Meyers led the team in receiving. Even in a win, however, that’s not enough targets for Adams. For the Raiders to take a step forward, McDaniels has to find a way to get Adams and Garoppolo more in tune with one another.

Loser: K Daniel Carlson

Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson faced his brother, Packers kicker Anders Carlson, for the first time. Uncharacteristically, Carlson missed two field goals, though one was tipped at the line. He also missed a 52-yard field goal on a late 4th-and-2 play, as McDaniels opted to try for three points rather than a first down that would have iced the game for Las Vegas.

Thankfully for McDaniels, his defense held up, just as it had most of the evening. That was the theme of this night, but on most gamedays, McDaniels’ offense will have to do more. They’ll get a chance to do just that and earn another home win next week against the Patriots.