Not a lot went right for the Raiders in this one. As evidenced by their 47 offensive snaps, which is the fewest by a Raiders team in 12 years. That was caused by short, stalled offensive drives, and long, drawn-out drives by the Bengals.
The offense was completely inept all save one drive in which they drove 75 yards for a TD on three plays. The defense’s biggest problem seemed to be untimely penalties on plays that would have led to a punt but instead ended up leading to scores. Thus the 32-13 final score.
A few players stood out of the pack in an overall ugly affair.
Ballers
TE Darren Waller
Several early drives began with a long completion to Waller before stalling. Until finally, Carr managed to find him twice on a drive for 54 yards, then connected with Foster Moreau for their only touchdown of the game. Waller would finish with a season-high 116 yards on seven catches.
LB Denzel Perryman
Perryman made the first tackle of the game. Then added a pass breakup on the same drive which ended in a strip-sack by Yannick Ngakoue. Late in the third quarter, with the Raiders still within a score, Perryman had a drive in which he made a run stuff at the line, broke up a pass, and streaked into the backfield to make his second tackle for loss in the game.
That would lead to the Bengals having to settle for a field goal and kept the game close until late in the fourth.
Perryman would do what he usually does; lead the team in tackles (12) and solo tackles (9). Two of those tackles were for a loss and he added two pass breakups as well.
CB Casey Hayward
He just continues being an invisible man out there. Which is to say he isn’t giving up much in the way of catches, let alone touchdowns. The first moment he was noticed in this game was coming up to help make a tackle for loss on third and one, leading to one of just two Bengals punts in the game.
Hayward would make another tackle for loss in the third quarter that helped lead to the Bengals settling for a long field goal.
C Andre James
He was solid in the run and pass game, keeping pressure out of the backfield and giving up no run stuffs. He was also the key block downfield on Josh Jacobs’s 18-yard run in the third quarter.
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