Another week and another loss as the Las Vegas Raiders lost their second-straight game to the Buffalo Bills, 30-23. The game was close throughout, but the Raiders couldn’t hang in the second half committing too many turnovers.
What numbers stood out this week? Let us take a look:
Raiders’ offensive line struggles continue
It seems to be a reoccurring theme every week, but the Raiders continue to struggle with pressure. But this time, it was from the other side of the line with the offensive line having their QB under duress for most of this game. The injuries are starting to pile up, and it’s displaying in the pressure numbers.
According to Pro Football Focus, the offensive line gave up 16 pressures, which is the highest on the season. In the last three games, the Raiders have given up a 32% pressure rate, which is the 11th-biggest total percentage in the NFL. Denzell Good and Gabe Jackson have struggled while Kolton Miller is the only steady cog on the offensive line.
With the offensive line looked at as a position of strength going into the season, it is an area they have to fix fast if they want to succeed. The run blocking is an issue as well, with them not opening holes for Jacobs, forcing him to create with a bad hip on his own. The offensive line must get it together.
QB Derek Carr had the fifth-best QBR of Week 4
There has been a ton of speculation about whether Derek Carr is playing well enough for the Raiders to win. It is an answer that differs depending on who you ask. But according to ESPN’s QBR metric, Carr is off to the best start of his career.
Carr’s QBR against the Bills Week 4 was 89.8, meaning he almost played a perfect game. His QBR on the season is 77.1 and ranked seventh overall according to ESPN. QBR is a win probability metric that combines EPA, and all quarterback plays. Yes, ESPN says that Carr, this season, is giving the Raiders a 77% chance to win every week.
It’s hard for fans to digest or even old school thinkers about how the quarterback is measured. The mindset is if a quarterback is losing, he can’t have a good game. That’s where a metric like QBR that doesn’t have garbage time is beneficial, but Carr has to win to calm down a fan base that is tired of losing.
DE Carl Nassib making the most of his snaps
Carl Nassib got a big contract this offseason to come in and help the Raiders pass rush. While they have not had the best success so far, Nassib has done his job on limited snaps. His numbers rushing the passer were better than expected from the first watch.
Just last week, Nassib had a pressure rate of 22%, according to Sports Info Solutions. He did this on nine pass rushes ending up with two pressures on the day. He is the highest-ranked player in pressure rate on the season at 13%, which means he is making the most of his opportunities. He is also the only player in the top 30 in pro football focus pass-rush productivity metric, coming in at 8.5.
Nassib deserves more snaps on third down than he is getting right now as a pass-rush specialist. He is doing exactly what Mayock and the company paid him to do, which is rush the passer. The Raiders are one of the worst teams in the league in this area and have to put the best players on the field to maximize their potential.
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