Tag: Luke Getsy

3 causes for concern as the Raiders face the Browns Sunday

The biggest causes of concern for the Raiders in their Week 4 matchup with the Browns on Sunday.

I know what you’re thinking right now. What about this Raiders team *isn’t* a cause for concern right now? That’s fair. But I suppose some things are more glaring than others. Here are three big ones that come to mind.

Myles Garrett

Antonio Pierce was asked for his thoughts on Myles Garrett and he summed it up with one word – “Scary”. Garrett is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and for good reason. He was in the top ten in sacks (14), tackles for loss (17), and QB hits (30), and pressures (86). Now, you can argue Maxx Crosby was better considering Crosby had better numbers in every one of those categories, but that’s not really the point here.

The point is Garrett is a problem. And the Raiders offensive tackles have not exactly shown the ability to keep even decent pass rushers out of the backfield this season. Even Kolton Miller has been uncharacteristically susceptible to getting beaten. And rookie DJ Glaze will be making his first start on the other side.

Stars injured

No question the Raiders have exactly two stars on their team. Maxx Crosby on defense and Davante Adams on offense. Neither of whom will play Sunday. Crosby is officially listed as Doubtful by Antonio Pierce said Friday Crosby would be OUT. Adams suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week and he’s been ruled OUT.

Even with Crosby playing last week, the defense gave up 36 points because Crosby was hobbled and not destroying the offense’s game plan. Now, to be without him entirely? Yikes.

The only game the Raiders won this season was when Adams was caught nine passes for 110 yards and had some masterful late game heroics. He won’t be an option in the pass game this week.

League worst ground game

Despite Raiders OC Luke Getsy’s laughable comment that the Raiders run game showed some improvement last week, it hasn’t. Their 2.8 rushing yards per attempt is easily the worst in the league. 

And get this, they are ALSO the worst run DEFENSE in the league, giving up a league worst 5.4 yards per carry.

The Browns are decent both in terms of yards per carry on the offense (4.3) and yards per carry allowed by the defense (4.4). Both stats are above league average.

Also see: 3 Reasons for optimism for Raiders vs Browns

Ballers for Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Singling out the performances in Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

There wasn’t much to sing about if you’re the Raiders in their loss to the Panthers. The 36-22 final score didn’t tell the story at all. The real score was 33-7 which sealed it early in the fourth quarter.

A lopsided score like that suggests a complete collapse on both sides of the ball. They couldn’t run the ball, they couldn’t stop the run. They couldn’t pass the ball, they couldn’t stop the pass.

Andy Dalton was picking them apart through the air and Chuba Hubbard (who?) ran all over them on the ground. Gardner Minshew completed one deep pass and the Raiders still have the worst rushing attack in the NFL dating back like 25 years at least.

Anyway, let’s see about them Ballers, eh?

Baller

WR Tre Tucker

That one deep completion went to Tucker. He got behind the defense and made the long catch 54 yards downfield. It set up the Raiders only touchdown that actually mattered. It tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

When the game essentially was over, he had three catches for 64 yards. But he didn’t just pack it in, he added four more catches to finish with 98 yards and a touchdown.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Continue to the Busters…

Busters for Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Singling out the many poor performances in the Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Welcome to the primary portion of the program. There was a lot more bad news in this one than good. In fact, it wasn’t all that easy to find anything good to say about this performance by the Raiders.

So, let’s not belabor the point any longer.

Busters

OC Luke Getsy

Run, run, pass. Run, run, pass. Run, run, pass. Sensing a pattern? Yeah? Well, you’re not alone. The Raiders opponents do too. Perhaps Getsy thinks it’s like a pendulum that will lull opposing defenses to sleep because that is his approach so often, it’s downright maddening.

If this were a situation where the Raiders were having some success, it would be one thing. But they’re not. For whatever reason they are not running the ball at an NFL level. And you have to wonder if it’s the scheme that’s the problem because this wasn’t the case last season. Quite the contrary actually, they were the best running team in the league the final four games of last season. Now they’re the worst.

Four times on the first three drives of this game the Raiders started a series with consecutive runs. One of those they did three straight runs. Only once did they get a first down on the ground. And it wasn’t the one where they ran it three straight times! That one they went for it on fourth down and didn’t pick it up. The defensive backfield literally stood in a line three yards off the line and all the Raiders’ receivers ran that far. Minshew threw for Brock Bowers and it was knocked down easily. Terrible play call against the defense designed to stop that very thing.

Down 21-7 going into the third quarter, and you’ll never guess what they did then. Run. Run. Pass. Punt. So, they were down 24-7 before they finally stopped doing that.

This is a replay of the first two games. They bang their heads against a wall for three quarters and then try to make a late comeback. The defense was able to keep them in it the first two weeks. That didn’t happen this time. And it should never have to happen that way.

Something needs to change right now because right now their run game is broken. Whether it’s moving away from zone blocking, leaning more on the passing game, or just mixing things up a bit more to keep the defense honest.

QB Gardner Minshew

Whatever he found in the fourth quarter in Baltimore he lost again. Too often in this game he seemed gun shy, pulling his passes back, dancing around the pocket, and bouncing off his linemen like a pinball before either getting sacked or throwing it away.

Through three quarters — remember that’s when the game ended for all intents and purposes — he had completed 10 passes for 127 yards and no touchdowns. Most of his yards came on one completion to Tre Tucker for 54 yards. That was one of just four first downs he had through the air.

WR Davante Adams

Adams wasn’t helping things much. He had two drive killing drops in the second quarter alone. The first one came on third and short to end the drive. The second one took them out of field goal range and Daniel Carlson just missed the 57-yard attempt wide left at the half.

CB Nate Hobbs, CB Jakorian Bennett, CB Jack Jones

A week ago we were celebrating their work on the outside. Not so much this week. This week Andy Dalton made burnt toast out of them all.

The first drive Hobbs gave up a 17-yard catch and the touchdown catch from six yards out.

Second drive, Bennett gave up a 24-yard catch on third-and-14, Tre’von Moehrig gave up a 35-yard catch and run, and Jones gave up the touchdown on third-and-goal from the five.

Their third touchdown drive saw Hobbs give up a catch to Diontae Johnson, then try to chase him down only to whiff on the tackle for a 35-yard play. The next play Jones gave up a 31-yard touchdown catch to Adam Thielan.

The final touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter started with Bennett giving up an 11-yard catch. Then Jones missed a tackle on a 14-yard run, Bennett missed a tackle on a five-yard run, and on third down, Bennett was flagged for pass interference in the end zone to put the Panthers in first and goal from the one. They punched it in two plays later to go up 33-7.

Jones added to his poor day when he didn’t bother to try and make the tackle on a ten-yard run that led many to accuse him of being the player Antonio Pierce was referring to when he said players were making “business decisions” in the game.

RB Zamir White

I don’t know if he’s just trying to stick with what he thinks he’s trying to do or what. But there were so many times he just seemed to run right into a tackle or right in to the back of his own lineman. One of those times was the second play for the offense when he landed on the legs of Thayer Munford, causing him to leave the game with an injury and not return.

He was having much more success late last season. Now he looks like the least effective running back on this team. He’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and despite his size and apparent strength, they don’t even use him at the goal line. They give it to Alexander Mattison who has two touchdowns this season as a result.

LG Cody Whitehair, C Andre James

They’re just not getting any push up the middle. They aren’t creating any running lanes. The Raiders went for it on fourth down twice in the first three quarters. The first time Whitehair was driven back into Minshew’s lap as he threw. The other time it was a QB keeper that James got no push. Both attempts failed.

DT John Jenkins

You know who was getting push? The Panthers offensive line. Often times it was Jenkins who was getting pushed around. Jenkins had one tackle in the first three quarters. It was on a six-yard first down run. He also gave up the Panthers’ final touchdown from one yard out.

See the Baller

Antonio Pierce plans ‘a lot of changes’ to try and get Raiders NFL-worst run game going

With by the league’s worth run game, there are ‘A lot of changes’ in the works for the Raiders

You simply won’t see a worse run game than the one the Raiders are attempting to deploy this season. What they’re doing in just not working. So, what’s the problem? Is it scheme? Personnel? Both?

It could be both, sure. But if you look back at the line last year and this year, it wasn’t that much different personnel wise. And they were running the ball really well late last season with Zamir White. Now? Abysmal.

White averaged nearly 100 yards per game over the final four games last season behind much of the same offensive line (only one guard and one tackle have changed). He has 102 yards in the first the weeks combined this season and he had just 14 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers.

“Last year is last year. We are where we are now. Worst running team in football,” said Pierce. “That’s not something I’m proud of, our staff’s proud of and I’m sure our team is not. And again, we’re going to get in here and chip away after we make the corrections from today and be honest with one another.”

Pierce would not rule out a change is blocking scheme, saying “I think there’s going to be a lot of changes.”

As far as personnel, rookie tackle DJ Glaze most of game at right tackle after the injury to Thayer Munford. That didn’t seem to change anything in terms of the run game issues. They put rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson in for a time and that didn’t seem to make a difference either.

They had a total of three first downs on the ground in the game Sunday and didn’t have a single first down in the second half.

And then there’s this:

https://twitter.com/austingayle_/status/1838004575678476584

At this point either they need to change back to the scheme that works with these guys or just stop running it.

Breaking down how Raiders deployed WR and TE through 2 weeks

We have a two-game sample to see just how the Raiders are deploying their receivers and tight ends so far.

With Week 2 officially in the books, we now have multiple data points to help us figure out what to expect from this new look Raiders offense under Luke Getsy.

It’s pretty clear at this point that the group of pass catchers are the strength of the unit, and that’s to be expected when you look at the resources the team has put into it.

The Raiders rank third in the NFL in cap space dedicated to wide receivers and have now spent top 35 picks on tight ends in back to back drafts. Acquiring all that talent is great, but the way that talent is used can be just as important.

The first and most important player to talk about is, of course, Davante Adams.

Sometimes when teams have a truly elite receiver like Adams, they’ll throw them on the outside every play and ask them to win against whatever coverage they’re faced with. But in today’s NFL, more and more teams have started moving their best players around the formation. Not only does this allow you to take advantage of favorable matchups, it also makes life easier for your quarterback by giving him larger windows to throw into.

So far this year, Adams has taken 27% of his snaps from the slot. That’s still a touch lower than his first year with the team but a big improvement from 16.9% last year.

Those alignment numbers are part of the reason Adams’s yardage total dropped by almost 400 yards from 2022 to 2023 despite seeing 3 more targets.

The uptick in slot snaps this year is already paying off. Adams had 9 catches for 110 yards in week 2. He only hit those totals twice all of last season. 

Next we have the highly touted 1st round pick Brock Bowers.

Having a player like Bowers can do so many things for an offense, but tight ends are so often misused because they aren’t a great fit for their offense. This can lead to underwhelming production and prevent them from reaching their ceiling.

The early signs suggest that this will not be the case here. Bowers has been on the field for 62 pass plays this season and has run a route on 59 of them (95%).

Of the 37 tight ends who have played at least 25 passing snaps, only 2 have a higher route participation rate than Bowers. He’s certainly a capable blocker, but you don’t draft a tight end in the top 15 for their pass blocking.

Luke Getsy is also doing a good job moving the Georgia product around the formation. Bowers has taken 45 snaps from the slot, 30 at inline tight end, eight out wide, and one from the backfield. This is a great balance that allows them to use him in a variety of ways without turning him into a glorified decoy.

The only nitpick I have with Bowers’s usage is that he’s only run the fourth most routes on the team. I suspect this will increase as the season rolls on, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. 

Now that we’ve covered the two thoroughbreds, let’s talk about some of the other receivers and tight ends.

As expected, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker have been far and away WR2 and WR3. Both players took over 60% of their snaps from the outside in 2023, but Hunter Renfrow’s departure opened up space in the slot. They’ve opted to keep Tucker and his elite speed on the outside, moving Meyers to play a majority in the slot.

For Meyers, this makes sense considering it’s what he did for his entire career in New England. At the same time, it’s a bit surprising because Meyers performed well in 2023, and Tucker spent a whopping 96.5% of the time in the slot during his final season at Cincinnati. Speed is likely the main reason for this decision, and it’s hard to fault them for that.

The result of this, however, is Tucker has struggled to get involved early and spends most of his time clearing out space for other playmakers — an important, but often thankless job.

It would be nice to see more of Tucker getting downfield on full speed motion plays, similar to what the Dolphins do with their speedy receivers. They’ve done some of that stuff with Meyers, but Tucker’s speed could really be leveraged in those situations. Tucker’s average depth of target was 19.2 yards last, but he has yet to see a target more than 20 yards downfield in 2024. 

Finally, there’s Michael Mayer. A highly drafted player who has sort of been cast aside with the arrival of Bowers.

Mayer has good hands, he’s solid in contested situations and is a capable route runner. He’s just not quite as dynamic as some of the top receiving tight ends around the league.

At the same time, he hasn’t fared particularly well as a blocker in his NFL career so far. Mayer was 72nd out of 91 qualified tight ends in PFF run blocking grade in 2023. He’s fallen more into that type of role in 2024, so hopefully we see improvement as he can focus more on that part of his game. 

Overall, I like what Luke Getsy has done with his pass catchers so far in 2024. We’re seeing much more diversity with their alignment compared to 2023. The passing game may not look like it did against Baltimore every week, but expect it to continue looking better than last year. 

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

After an encouraging performance last week, the Raiders starting offense bogged down against the Cowboys’ second-team defense in Las Vegas on Saturday. The defense had its own struggles and the home team lost, 27-12 in a lackluster preseason ballgame.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew got the start and missed multiple opportunities to take a commanding lead in his battle for the starting QB job. That left the door open for QB Aidan O’Connell. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Bryant in the Raiders’ first drive of the second half, but just as it appeared he would take charge in the QB competition, he threw a pick-6 to open the fourth quarter.

As for the defense, they allowed 114 rushing yards in the first half, despite playing most of their starters. Like the offense, they faced Cowboys backups.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after the Raiders dropped to 1-1 in the preseason.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

The Raiders didn’t score many points on Saturday, but they found moderate success in the passing game.

Wide receiver Tre Tucker built on his strong showing last week and hauled in three catches for 66 yards, including a 48-yard grab on a throw from Minshew. Tucker also had a nifty 43-yard punt return. The second-year speedster continues to improve and could see a major role with the Las Vegas offense this year.

 

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Wide receiver DJ Turner continued his strong preseason, notching five catches for 31 yards. He was a security blanket for O’Connell as O’Connell led a long drive for Las Vegas to start the second half.

The Raiders are looking for depth at wideout, and with other reserves yet to make a huge impact, Turner appears ready to take on a larger role this year as well. He’s similar in stature to Tucker but is a little more shifty in space, providing some versatility to the back-end of the Raiders WR depth.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

Coach Antonio Pierce said he planned to name his starting quarterback after playing the Cowboys. Minshew played first and had every opportunity to take the job, especially because the Cowboys played their reserve defense.

Minshew started slow but appeared to rebound after his bomb to Tucker. He continued missing his receivers, however, and he made some risky throws that could have been interceptions.

Pierce played Minshew into the second quarter despite planning to switch to O’Connell at that time. Minshew went 3-and-out after remaining in the ball game, and after the Raiders special teams recovered a punt-return fumble, Minshew missed badly on a 4th-and-6 throw.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

O’Connell looked solid after entering the game in the third quarter but failed to capitalize on Tucker’s punt return. In his defense, a questionable penalty on offensive lineman Jordan Meredith stalled the drive.

He led a long scoring drive in the third quarter that ended with a touchdown throw to tight end Harrison Bryant. At the moment, it appeared that O’Connell was about to take his starting job back.

But then he threw a pick-6 interception, giving the Cowboys a 20-12 advantage.

Coach Pierce expected to have answers at quarterback after this game, but he’s likely questioning both signal-callers after this effort.

Loser: OC Luke Getsy

Minshew wasn’t the only one to have an opportunity against Cowboys backups. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had a chance to build on his offense’s strong showing last week but his unit was a dud in this ballgame. He was without star WR Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, but that’s no excuse.

Loser: Reserve defensive lineman

The Raiders’ defensive starters played a lot in the first half. It went fairly well until defensive lineman Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and John Jenkins exited the game late in the second quarter.

As the rest of the Raiders starters remained in the game, Las Vegas’ reserve linemen were the weak link on a 14-play drive that ended with a touchdown toss by Cowboys QB Trey Lance. Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones was beat on the play in one-on-one coverage.

Loser: DL Tyree Wilson

Former top-10 draft pick defensive lineman Tyree Wilson again flew under the radar in this game. He was most noticeable as he lost Lance in space on the edge near the goalline. Though he did assist DE Elerson Smith on a nice tackle on a shovel pass.

As it’s often said: this is just the preseason. But the Raiders need answers at quarterback and time is running out before the regular season. O’Connell looked better than Minshew in this game, but that’s not saying much.

It stands to reason that Pierce will hold off on naming a starter, but he may feel it’s too close to the regular season to leave his team in QB limbo and name a starter anyway.

Either way, this was not the performance the Raiders needed. The only thing left to do is have a good week of practice and try again in Week 3 of the preseason against the 49ers on Friday.

Twitter reacts to Raiders bringing back QB Nathan Peterman

Twitter reacts to Raiders bringing back QB Nathan Peterman

Here I was toiling away with my usual battle not to get distracted by every little thing and actually do something productive, when a mini bombshell drops in my lap — the Raiders signed Nathan Peterman.

Yes, THAT Nathan Peterman.

The Nate Peterman who spent parts of four seasons with the Raiders for four years, seeing action in just two games and throwing a total of five passes for 25 yards.

So, when I tweeted out the news, the reactions were pretty much to be expected. Most were some form of this:

Some remember the camp that the Raiders spent on Hard Knocks and the way that Jon Gruden laid into Peterman.

Now, to be fair, that was the 2019 training camp, which was Peterman’s third NFL season and his first camp with the Raiders.

After that he spent three seasons with the Raiders, that first year on the practice squad.

From there, he spent two seasons in Chicago with the Bears. That’s where he played under Luke Getsy — Raiders new OC — and thus you have the connection that is bringing him back into the fold with the Raiders.

Peterman was signed this offseason by the Saints and released on August 2 due to a glut of QBs in New Orleans.  And after the way the Raiders QBs looked in the second half of their preseason opener, the Raiders probably felt a move had to be made.

And at least one commenter sought to give Peterman the benefit of the doubt.

While others just went with sarcasm.

Honestly, though, he probably is a better option than Anthony Brown or Carter Bradley at this point. Which says a lot more about the Raiders QB situation than anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raiders bring back QB Nathan Peterman

Nathan Peterman is BACK with the Raiders

Nathan Peterman is back in Silver & Black. The journeyman has been signed by the Raiders as they enter game week for their second preseason game.

A former round five pick by the Buffalo Bills, Peterman has started just five career games in six NFL seasons. He spent parts of four seasons with the Raiders from 2018-21.

He gets the call up today because he spent the past two seasons in Chicago with Raiders OC Luke Getsy, so he has familiarity with his system. Peterman started one game for the Bears in 2022, going 14 of 25 for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a season-ending loss to the Vikings.

He was most recently with the Saints, once again behind former Raiders QB Derek Carr. He signed on in New Orleans last May and was released on August 2. Opening the door for a return to the Raiders and a reunion with Getsy.

In a corresponding move, the raiders waived/injured WR Keelan Doss.

Raiders winners and losers in 24-23 preseason defeat vs. Vikings

The Raiders preseason kicked off on Saturday with a loss to the Vikings. Who stood out the most for Las Vegas?

After a successful training camp, the Raiders finally got to hit someone besides their teammates on Saturday during their preseason debut against the Vikings. Surprisingly, the Raiders offense started faster than a Las Vegas defense expected to carry the club in 2024.

Quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew both saw first-half action, and the offense didn’t punt until after halftime. The defense played well for the most part but allowed the Vikings to convert too many big plays.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after our first look at the 2024 Las Vegas Raiders.

Winner: CB Jakorian Bennett

Cornerback Jakorian Bennett took the field as a starter after earning that right in training camp. The Raiders are looking for someone to take charge opposite entrenched cornerback Jack Jones, and Bennett made a big play to save the Raiders’ starting defense on the Vikings’ initial drive.

Minnesota drove to the Las Vegas 4-yard line, even as starters, including defensive end Maxx Crosby, were in the game. On 4th-and-2, Bennett showed impressive ball skills on a pass breakup in the end zone. There’s a lot of preseason left, but Bennett made further strides toward remaining a Raiders starter at cornerback.

Winner: CB Jack Jones

As the Raiders defense dominated in training camp, Jones was perhaps the most impressive player for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Jones showed he’s ready to make plays against quarterbacks besides his own with a skillful interception early in the third quarter.

 

Jones played exceptionally well for Las Vegas last season. But his sample size as a professional is relatively small, and the Raiders defense needs him to perform at a high level this year. So far, so good.

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Though coach Antonio Pierce chose to play his starters in Minnesota, wide receiver Davante Adams was with his family to welcome his baby boy to the world. That left extra opportunity for the Raiders’ wide receiver room.

Wide receiver DJ Turner took advantage, hauling in a 20-yard touchdown from QB Gardner Minshew in the second quarter.

Turner had a strong camp and he backed it up at his first opportunity. The depth chart is far from set at wideout after Adams, WR Jakobi Meyers, and WR Tre Tucker; Turner continued his path toward earning a role for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy this season.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

Though Tucker is slated to be one of Las Vegas’ top weapons this season, the speedster has had issues dropping the football. He needs to prove he can handle a large role, especially with Turner performing well.

His 44-yard grab on a toss from Minshew put his skills on full display and helped quiet any doubts he’s up to the task. It would be nice to see Tucker catch the ball with his hands more than with his body, but he got the job done in preseason Week 1.

Winner: OC Luke Getsy

Getsy was fired last season as the offensive coordinator for the Bears, and his offense struggled during Raiders training camp. For a Las Vegas team trying to turn a corner and make the playoffs, Getsy must show he’s capable of directing this Raiders offense.

With O’Connell at quarterback to start the game, the offense went on a long, impressive field-goal drive after Bennett’s pass breakup in the end zone. For Getsy and everyone involved with the offense, it was likely a breath of fresh air and proof that they’ve made progress with Getsy’s new scheme. The Raiders offense enjoyed success the entire first half and didn’t have to punt until backup Anthony Brown Jr. entered the game.

Winner: Offensive line

The Raiders were without two starters on the offensive line, but their group still blocked well enough for the offense to find much-needed success. Both Thayer Munford Jr. and rookie DJ Glaze played well at offensive tackle. That’s a big boost for a Raiders team that needs at least one of those young players to hold down the right tackle spot in 2024.

Winner: QB Gardner Minshew

Minshew didn’t start, but he entered the game in the second quarter as Pierce planned. He led four drives compared to just one drive for O’Connell, however, and finished with 117 yards on 6-for-12 passing and a touchdown throw. He also scrambled for a first down.

The Raiders quarterback competition is far from over, but Minshew made the most of his opportunity and lopsided drive count compared to O’Connell.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

In a kinder, gentler world, O’Connell would join Minshew on the winner list. He looked great to start the game despite starting his first drive of 2024 on the Raiders’ 4-yard line.

But Minshew had a touchdown throw and multiple splash plays. O’Connell had a chance to throw a touchdown of his own in his only drive of the game, but he was sacked on a 3rd-and-goal play as backup lineman Andrus Peat was beaten on the edge.

The Raiders QB competition is just heating up though. O’Connell appears on my loser list today, but he could very well win the job as Raiders starting QB by preseason’s end.

Loser: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Raiders wide receivers behind Tucker and Turner on the depth chart had a golden opportunity on Saturday with Adams’ absence. None of them took advantage. But WR Kristian Wilkerson got the start, and he likely wants a do-over on his one catch of the day, a WR screen that lost one yard.

Watching live, it appeared that Wilkerson made one move too many rather than cutting upfield and getting available yardage. Making matters worse, the Raiders only needed a few yards to gain a first down.

Loser: S Jaydon Grant

Safety Jaydon Grant missed a tackle on open space on a 48-yard touchdown run by the Vikings in the second quarter. Linebacker Luke Masterson missed his assignment on the play, but Grant was the last line of defense and he missed badly on his tackle attempt.

Loser: CB MJ Devonshire

Rookie cornerback MJ Devonshire had a rough first go as an NFL defensive back. He let a Vikings receiver go right past him for a 45-yard score in the third quarter. In his defense, he didn’t get any help over the top from safety Chris Smith II.

Loser: S Trey Taylor/big play defense

The Raiders allowed another big play later in the third quarter on a blown coverage in the secondary. It appears that S Trey Taylor was the No. 1 culprit on this one, but I’ve handed the entire Raiders defense part of this entry on the loser list for allowing too many big plays and 452 yards overall.

It’s just one game, but this week told us a lot about this season’s Raiders squad. The defense looks strong but has some issues to clean up, and the offense looks much better when Maxx Crosby isn’t terrorizing them. But as we know, the NFL is a week-to-week business. They’ll have to prove themselves again against the Cowboys next weekend in Las Vegas.

Why Brock Bowers could be much more explosive for the Raiders than he was in college

Brock Bowers was amazing in college. But the Raiders’ rookie tight end has a ton of unexplored potential as a downfield weapon.

The Raiders selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft because Bowers was a major force for one of the NCAA’s best offenses over the last three seasons. And in conjunction with 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer from Notre Dame, the Raiders and new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has the potential for one of the NFL’s better 12 personnel passing games.

Here’s the thing — as great as Bowers was in college, and some have called him a “generational” prospect — he wasn’t utilized as a downfield weapon. Not nearly enough. Per Pro Football Focus, Bowers had just nine targets last season on passes of 20 or more air yards, catching three for 98 yards and a touchdown.

The deep pass wasn’t a prominent part of Georgia’s passing game last season; Carson Beck attempted just 54 passes of 20 or more air yards last season, which ranked 43rd in the NCAA. Beck completed 22 of those passes for 729 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 103.5.

So, seeing Bowers as an explosive weapon in an NFL passing game requires a bit of projection. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do when you see the few times Bowers was able to stretch the field when he was allowed.

Tight ends are expected to win against Cover-3 with these kinds of seam openings, and against Auburn in Week 5 last season, Bowers did just that.

“Brock’s a unique guy,” Getsy said in May. “I think it’s been said here plenty of times, he was probably the best player in the SEC for some time, and he won a bunch of games. Anytime you can bring that type of caliber player into your organization, you’re going to get better.

“And then you match him and you pair him with the talent that we already have here, I think that just makes you more dynamic.”

Now, imagine Gardner Minshew throwing Bowers the ball on third down. The Raiders’ new proposed starting quarterback isn’t anyone’s idea of a top-five quarterback in the NFL, but Minshew can sling it deep. Last season for the Colts as Anthony Richardson’s injury replacement, Minshew attempted 20 deep passes on 51 targets for 715 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 81.9.

Overall, Minshew was good for 32 explosive passes, and this example of throwing receiver Alec Pierce open against those very Raiders in Week 17 shows another way to beat vulnerable coverage with the right kind of deep-third concept.

And if it’s Aidan O’Connell throwing the ball for the Raiders, it’s good to remember that O’Connell had five touchdown passes on deep throws in his rookie season of 2023.

So, don’t be surprised if Brock Bowers, as great as he was in college, brings some heretofore unseen ability as a downfield weapon. And wouldn’t that be a huge get for the Raiders’ new offense?