Tag: Janarius Robinson

Raiders defense took Maxx Crosby absence as personal challenge in win over Browns

Proving you can perform without your best player is easier said than done. But the Raiders defense did just that without Maxx Crosby Sunday.

For the first time in five years, the Raiders defense took the field to start a game without Maxx Crosby. The last time that happened was October of 2019, which means there isn’t a player on this defense who has experienced it in a Raiders uniform. So, it was definitely an unfamiliar experience.

There was no choice in the matter. The Raiders had to figure it out. That goes for everything Crosby represents with this defense. Their emotional leader and keep the Browns from doing to them what the Panthers did last week.

Early on it, this one had a ‘her we go again’ feel to it. The Browns scored a touchdown on the opening drive and were up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. But you could tell on that second drive, the defense was figuring things out. They gave up just one first down on the second drive and stalled the drive after that.

Then they went the rest of the game without giving up a point and went on to beat the Browns 20-16. The six points were scored off a fumble return for a touchdown.

The defensive line led the way in this effort. Including Christian Wilkins who had a sack and three QB hits.

Wilkins’ knew that stepping up to this challenge would start even before that first step onto the field. It began in the locker room. And with Crosby out, it was Wilkins’s duty to be the emotional leader.

He didn’t have to do it alone, though. Adam Butler took it upon himself to speak to the team and offer some words of inspiration as well.

Butler was raised in a military family, so he had a simple question for his teammates. 

“As the bullets are flying, what are you willing to put on the line?” Butler asked. “I just put that question up in the air and I made a deal with them, I said I won’t let you down if you don’t let me down. I’m going to fly to the ball and you fly to the ball. And we’ll come out victorious and that’s what we did.”

Butler held up his end. He made several key stops, finishing the game second in tackles (6) along with a tackle for loss and a QB hit.

In the end, it was one of those edge rushers tasked with filling in for Crosby who slammed the door on the Browns. 

In fourth and three, with the game in the balance, Deshaun Watson escaped out left, looking for a receiver or to take off and run for the first down. But Charles Snowden made sure neither could happen. He chased Watson down and sacked him to end the game.

Snowden said he and his fellow edge rushers took it as a personal challenge to step up in Crosby’s absence.

“We knew that not one of us was going to become Maxx Crosby overnight,” said Snowden. “We knew that would take the collective with his playmaking and his energy and just his presence. Maxx is always getting guys going with his energy out there so we knew we had to just collectively had to really do that.”

Snowden finished tied for the team lead with three QB hits to go along with his sack, a tackle for loss, and a batted pass. Janarius Robinson shared a sack, Tyree Wilson had two QB hits, and practice squad call up K’Lavon Chaisson added four tackles.

Deshaun Watson was held to 176 yards on the day with one TD and one interception. It looked for a moment like he might have a long TD to Amari Cooper, but a holding on Wilkins is what allowed him just enough time to get the pass off and thus wiped it away.

And the collective effort of those stepping up to fill the void left by Crosby’s absence is what eventually preserved the win.

Raiders DE Tyree Wilson suffered sprained knee in opener, could miss some time

Tyree Wilson could miss some time with his knee injury.

The hopes that Tyree Wilson might step up entering his second season took a hit Sunday. The 2023 seventh overall pick lasted just six snaps in the team’s season opener against the Chargers before leaving with a knee injury and not returning.

Following the game, he was sporting a brace on his right knee and walked gingerly with the brace trying to ensure minimal movement of the knee.

Monday morning brought the prognosis. He has a sprained knee. This means it’s not expected to be a long term injury, but how long he will be missing is not yet known.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1833199546408518083

The team had hoped Wilson would step up and help fill the void left by the loss of Malcolm Koonce to a knee injury this past week that landed him on injured reserve.

Instead it was Charles Snowden, who was just signed off the practice squad, who led the way along with Janarius Robinson. Maxx Crosby, of course, played every snap at the other defensive end spot.

“It got thin real quick,” Pierce said of the defensive end depth. “Telesco’s working on that as we speak.”

Raiders Week 1 snap counts vs Chargers: Who stepped up at defensive end?

Who stepped up at defensive end to replace Malcolm Koonce?

With a new coaching staff comes questions about who will see the most playing time at each position. And, of course, it’s also opponent dependent as well.

There are a few interesting observations with regard to how many snaps each player had in the team’s season opener against the Chargers.

First up is how the receiving corps shook out. And that includes the tight ends.

Despite the prevailing thinking being the Brock Bowers would be basically the team’s third receiver, it was Tre Tucker who had more snaps behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.

Zamir White started at running back, but it was Alexander Mattison who had more snaps as he was more effective.

On defense, Adam Butler had more snaps than John Jenkins. Both got the start as the Raiders often lined up with five defensive linemen.

Malcolm Koonce went down with a knee injury this week and was placed on IR. Leaving the Raiders to find a replacement. Tyree Wilson was lost after just six snaps. And it was practice squad call up Charles Snowden who got the start and led the way, even ahead of Janarius Robinson.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Cody Whitehair G 60 100% 3 11%
Dylan Parham G 60 100% 3 11%
Thayer Munford T 60 100% 3 11%
Kolton Miller T 60 100% 3 11%
Gardner Minshew II QB 60 100% 0 0%
Andre James C 60 100% 0 0%
Davante Adams WR 58 97% 0 0%
Jakobi Meyers WR 52 87% 0 0%
Tre Tucker WR 47 78% 7 25%
Brock Bowers TE 41 68% 0 0%
Alexander Mattison RB 36 60% 0 0%
Michael Mayer TE 34 57% 0 0%
Zamir White RB 23 38% 0 0%
DJ Turner WR 5 8% 23 82%
Harrison Bryant TE 4 7% 11 39%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Maxx Crosby DE 57 100% 4 14%
Marcus Epps SS 57 100% 0 0%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 57 100% 0 0%
Nate Hobbs CB 57 100% 0 0%
Robert Spillane LB 57 100% 0 0%
Christian Wilkins DT 54 95% 7 25%
Adam Butler DT 53 93% 0 0%
Jack Jones CB 53 93% 0 0%
Divine Deablo LB 42 74% 0 0%
John Jenkins DT 34 60% 6 21%
Charles Snowden DE 30 53% 21 75%
Jakorian Bennett CB 30 53% 0 0%
Janarius Robinson DE 24 42% 4 14%
Nesta Jade Silvera DT 10 18% 6 21%
Tyree Wilson DE 6 11% 2 7%
Luke Masterson LB 4 7% 25 89%
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 2 4% 23 82%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Kana’i Mauga LB 0 0% 25 89%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 23 82%
Amari Burney LB 0 0% 21 75%
Amari Gainer LB 0 0% 19 68%
Ameer Abdullah RB 0 0% 14 50%
Tyreik McAllister WR 0 0% 8 29%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 8 29%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 8 29%
Sam Webb CB 0 0% 8 29%
Darnay Holmes CB 0 0% 7 25%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 6 21%
Andrus Peat G 0 0% 3 11%
Jordan Meredith G 0 0% 3 11%
Delmar Glaze T 0 0% 3 11%
Jonah Laulu DT 0 0% 1 4%

Raiders DE Tyree Wilson leaves game vs Chargers with knee injury, doesn’t return

Tyree Wilson leaves opener with knee injury, doesn’t return

With Malcolm Koonce placed on injured reserve prior to the season opener, the Raiders were hoping Tyree Wilson would step up and help pick up the slack. Those hopes took a hit today.

The 2023 7th overall pick left the opener in Los Angeles early with a knee injury and didn’t return. He was officially ruled out early in the third quarter.

Wilson came into the came having been listed on the injury report with a foot issue. After a foot injury disrupted his development as a rookie.

Hopefully this knee injury isn’t too serious. With him out as well, it will be Janarius Robinson and Charles Snowden who will fill in opposite Maxx Crosby on the defensive line.

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 3 vs 49ers

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 3 vs 49ers

One last preseason game to cover for Ballers & Busters.

Ballers

DE Janarius Robinson

Robinson has been turning heads all preseason. He finished strong too. His tackle for loss on a run was what killed the 49ers first drive. Keep in mind this was 49ers first teamers versus Raiders backups. Robinson made the big play that held them to a field goal.

Though the 49ers were able to score on their second drive, Robinson had a pressure that set up a sack on the drive. The next 49ers possession — with the first teamers still in the game — Robinson got pressure around the right edge to force a quick pass by Purdy that was deflected and picked off. That was Purdy’s last throw of the game.

He would get two more pressures in the game, including a QB hit on the second to last play of the game, resulting in an incompletion and preserving the tie.

DE Charles Snowden

Robinson’s tackle for loss was the big play on the 49ers first drive, but Snowden made sure of it. He chased down Purdy on second down to force an incompletion and on third down he came around the right edge and got his arms up to bat the pass at the line.

He ended a possession in the second quarter by making the tackle on third and four short of the sticks. Then he ended another drive when on third and 11, he came around the edge like a shot to sack the QB for a 13-yard loss.

Oh, and he even had the key block on the 81-yard punt return for a touchdown.

LB Amari Gainer

Gainer was a tackling machine in this one. His 12 combined tackles (10 solo) led the Raiders. Half of those tackles were for one yard or less, two were for a loss, and he even added a sack.

WR/PR Tyreik McAllister

McAllister burst onto the scene in the second quarter when he took a punt 81 yards for a touchdown. He saw his gap, made one cut, and was gone to the house.

The next time we saw him, he was getting downfield as the gunner, forcing a block in the back penalty on the 49ers.

In the third quarter, he began making his mark on offense. First he took a jet sweep for eight yards. Then he came back to make a brilliant catch on a pass well behind him, taking it away from the defender, then turning and scoring with it.

He added a 21-yard catch in the fourth quarter that put the Raiders in first and goal inside the ten. Giving him 58 yards of offense and 196 all purpose yards with two touchdowns. Have yourself a day, Tyreik.

S Phalen Sanford

The first two drives of the fourth quarter ended with Sanford plays. He recovered a fumble to start off the final quarter, and had coverage on an incompletion to end the second drive.

WR Ramel Keyton

He came on late in the game, showing his long arms and catching abilities. One particular catch, he leapt in the air and snagged it with one hand and a defender all over him. His four catches for 76 yards led the Raiders.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 24-24 preseason tie vs. 49ers

The Raiders closed the preseason with a tie, even though Las Vegas played its reserves against 49ers starters. Who stood out the most?

The Raiders preseason finally came to a close on Friday night in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in Las Vegas, as coach Antonio Pierce sat his starters while the 49ers played many of their stars, including quarterback Brock Purdy. Still, the Raiders’ reserves held their own, especially on defense.

The Las Vegas offense was without its top two quarterbacks and struggled early, but the Raiders’ special teams had a big day. Tyreik McAllister took an 81-yard punt return to the house for the Raiders’ first score of the night, and he added a touchdown catch later in the game for good measure.

McAllister was easily the biggest winner of the night. Here are the rest of the players who stood out this week, for better or worse.

Winner: DE Janarius Robinson

Before we get to McAllister’s big day, defensive end Janarious Robinson deserves his due. He had a tackle for loss on the 49ers’ first drive, helping the Raiders hold the San Francisco starting offense to a field goal.

Robinson led a strong pass rush for Las Vegas and pressured Purdy into a second-quarter interception. He was a lock to make the roster coming into this game and his pass-rush ability provides key depth up front.

Winner: WR Tyreik McAllister

The Raiders have been looking for depth at wide receiver and McAllister made a statement on Friday night. A former star in the Canadian Football League, McAllister scored the Raiders first points of the night on an 81-yard punt return.

His touchdown catch was equally impressive, perhaps even more so. He made an athletic adjustment on a throw by QB Carter Bradley.

It’s hard to say whether McAllister will make the Raiders’ final cut. But his chances are certainly much higher after this performance.

Winner: DBs Sam Webb and Chris Smith II

The Raiders reserves had the last laugh against Purdy, who made his share of splash plays. On Purdy’s final snap of the game, pressure from Robinson forced a throw into tight coverage by Raiders cornerback Sam Webb. Webb tipped the ball in the air, and safety Chris Smith II was in perfect position to intercept the ball.

Winner: LB Amari Gainer

Linebacker Amari Gainer made his case to remain a Raider with his play on defense and special teams. He recorded an impressive special teams tackle early in the game and finished with more than 10 tackles on defense, including two tackles for loss. He had a late penalty for a hit to the head, but that hardly put a damper on his day.

Winner: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Though he didn’t have the day McAllister did, WR Kristian Wilkerson gave the Raiders brass more to think about on cut-down day with his touchdown grab from quarterback Nathan Peterman.

Loser: RB Dylan Laube

Rookie running back Dylan Laube got the starting nod on Friday and appeared primed for his breakout moment. For a minute, he did break out. But after several impressive plays, he was belted by a 49ers defender after a nice catch and run. He fumbled the football and didn’t see action at running back for the rest of the game.

Laube still got some touches on special teams, which probably helped sustain his confidence. He’ll need it if he wants to contribute to the Raiders offense this season.

Loser: WR Jalen Guyton

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton had to make an impact on Friday to make the roster, and while he had some key catches on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to close the first half, he was outdone by McAllister and Wilkerson.

This game was a reversal from the Raiders’ loss against the Cowboys last week when Las Vegas starters faced Dallas backups. The Raiders reserves responded, and now it’s time for coach Pierce and crew to shape their final roster. Soon enough, we’ll see what this Raiders team is really made of when they face the Chargers in Week 1.

Raiders roster hopefuls get great work vs 49ers starters in preseason finale

Raiders roster hopefuls get great work vs 49ers starters in final preseason

Sometimes it can be hard to judge preseason performances because it’s usually first teamers vs first teamers, second teamers vs second teamers. But the 49ers did the Raiders a solid in the final preseaon game. They played their starters, even while the Raiders sat all their starters.

Now, the Raiders were unable to keep the 49ers from scoring. In fact, on all but the first drive, they ran through the Raiders’ backups like a hot knife through butter. But that’s to be expected. What the Raiders are looking for are small victories. Individual performances.

With these individual performances, you are actually seeing how these guys would hold up against the caliber of player they would face in games that count. And for that, the Raiders coaches should be thanking the 49ers for giving them a good look at their roster hopefuls and depth players.

Those depth players bent but didn’t break on the first drive of the day; making the stop to force the 49ers to settle for a 49-yard field goal.

That stop was brought to you by Janarius Robinson who blew past the tackle to make a tackle for a five-yard loss that the 49ers couldn’t recover from.

Though they looked out of their depth on the next drive, the third drive, they took the ball away. Making that the final play for Brock Purdy and the 49ers first team offense.

That takeaway was again led by Janarius Robinson whose pressure helped lead to a pass breakup by Sam Webb that was intercepted by Christopher Smith off the deflection.

As for the Raiders offense versus the 49ers first team defense, that was just plain bad from start to finish. Nathan Peterman led the Raiders offense to just 36 yards of offense with one first down in the first three drives. Dylan Laube looked for a moment on the second drive like he might make something happen — picking up the only first down in the first three drives — but then he fumbled the ball away.

It wasn’t until an 81-yard punt return by Tyreik McAllister that that Raiders got on the board in the first half.

Watch: Raiders backups take the ball away from 49ers starters

Watch: Raiders backups take the ball away from 49ers starters

Early in the second quarter, the 49ers still had their first teamers in the game against the Raiders crew of backups and fringe players. The first couple drives, the 49ers drove for scores. The second drive they marched down and scored the touchdown easily.

Then the Raiders turned the ball over when Dylan Laube fumbled it away. So, it looked like the 49ers might score a third time. Then the Raiders defense stepped up and took it right back.

Janarius Robinson had been terrorizing Brock Purdy all day. This time, he forced Purdy to make a quick throw and Sam Webb was there to defend it. And there was Christopher Smith to pluck it out of the air and pick it off.

5 Raiders Defensive Players to watch in Preseason finale vs 49ers

There are still some roster spots to be won, impressions to be made, and playing time to be earned. Each of these players will be out to make their presence felt on defense Friday night.

There are still some roster spots to be won, impressions to be made, and playing time to be earned. Each of these players will be out to make their presence felt on defense Friday night.

Jade Silvera has been behind Byron Young on the depth chart through the past two weeks. But when given the chance, Jade Silvera has looked better than Young. If he outshines Young again, it’s possible he could start taking snaps from Young, and possibly overtake him on the depth chart come the season.

Speaking of players passing up higher drafted players…The former fourth round defensive end has looked considerably better than Raiders second year former number four overall pick Tyree Wilson. At this point, Wilson only has his top pick potential getting him reps. But that only goes so far when a team has to think about which player gives them the best chance of getting to the quarterback when called upon.

Gainer is trying to get on this roster and has had an uphill battle to do it. He had a great preseason opener and didn’t do much in last week’s home opener against the Cowboys. Best two out of three?

With Brandon Facyson once again struggling to get healthy, this fourth round rookie could be the next man up after the three starters. They like his length, but is he ready to go should one of the starters go down? Or to be a dime back?

5 Raiders defensive position battles to watch in preseason opener in Minnesota

Defense will be the strength of this Raiders team and there’s a lot of returning starters. But the preseason isn’t really about entrenched starters. It’s about hopefuls and those looking to be the guy who, if called upon, would keep the group from …

Defense will be the strength of this Raiders team and there’s a lot of returning starters. But the preseason isn’t really about entrenched starters. It’s about hopefuls and those looking to be the guy who, if called upon, would keep the group from missing a beat.

With that in mind, here are the top five positions battles to watch when the Raiders take on the Vikings on Saturday.