Losers
Jalen Richard
Speaking of Carr’s interception. It was on an attempted short pass to running back Jalen Richard in the red zone. The pass wasn’t necessarily on target, but Richard didn’t serve the Raiders well by haphazardly sticking one arm out toward the football, guiding the football into the arms of an Eagles defender.
Overall, however, Richard’s return from the injured reserve list has been a welcome one. He’s bolstered a running backs group that lost starter Josh Jacobs to a chest injury on Sunday. And as a group, the Raiders gained a relatively robust 4.1 yards per carry on the day, led by Kenyan Drake who gained 69 yards and had a touchdown, as did Jacobs.
Alex Leatherwood
Raiders rookie offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood didn’t have a terrible day against the Eagles, but he did commit a holding penalty late in the game that impacted the Raiders as they tried to put the Eagles away.
Leatherwood’s hold led to the Raiders’ first punt of the day. Furthermore, the infraction added to Leatherwood’s league lead in penalties. Though the Raiders offensive line enjoyed a solid day, not allowing a QB sack and powering a solid run game, penalties are still an issue, with linemen John Simpson and Brandon Parker earning infractions, too.
But as long as the offensive line blocks as they have lately, this Raiders team has an opportunity to play meaningful football down the stretch this season. No team in the AFC owns a better mark than the Raiders’ 5-2 record, and that’s got to feel good for Bisaccia and his crew as they prepare to enjoy the bye week, soon returning to fight for the AFC West crown.
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