Losers
Kenyan Drake
Drake didn’t have a terrible day for Las Vegas, gaining 24 yards on eight carries to go with 33 receiving yards. But he was playing against the team that drafted him and was outdone by Barber.
It worked out just fine for the Raiders, but you’ve got to figure that Dolphins partisans observed Drake on the field and on the sideline and thought they weren’t missing much after moving on from their former running back. Especially if they look at Drake’s eyebrow-raising salary.
Andre James
The Raiders’ new starting center continues to have issues. If it’s not poor blocks or holds, it’s complications with snapping the ball.
His high shotgun snap to Carr stymied a promising Raiders drive when Las Vegas was still down 14-0 in the first quarter. Carr recovered the football on a fortunate bounce but had to throw the ball away and was called for intentional grounding.
James has to solve his snapping issues, fast. If he’s going to struggle to block, it’s the least he can do for Carr and Gruden.
Zay Jones
This is supposed to be Zay Jones’ year. It started out that way when he caught the game-winning touchdown Week 1, but since then, he hasn’t done much at all on offense. On Sunday against the Dolphins, Jones had just a single catch on one target from Carr.
The Raiders had plenty of other receivers who stepped up, such as Edwards, Henter Renfrow, Henry Ruggs III and Darren Waller, but it would be nice for Jones to have a breakout game, especially with all the vocal support he receives from Carr and Gruden.
But most importantly for Las Vegas, Carr and Gruden weren’t losers this week. Carr threw a pick-6 in the first quarter and Gruden went for it on 4th-and-1 deep in his own territory on the ensuing drive. The play failed, and Miami was off and running to its 14-0 lead soon thereafter.
The Raiders came back, however, and are 3-0 for the first time in 19 years. They’re also 2-0 at Allegiant Stadium in 2021, with each win an entertaining overtime thriller, perfect for Las Vegas.
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