The Raiders rode the strength of their defense and its five forced turnovers in beating the Broncos, 37-12 on Sunday, moving to 6-3 on the campaign, and there’s plenty of credit to go around.
Safety Jeff Heath got the party started with the first of his two interceptions, and cornerback Nevin Lawson forced a fumble and recovered the football on the same play. Incredibly, defensive end Carl Nassib also picked off Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, as did linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
And though LB Nicholas Morrow didn’t notch a turnover, he was impossible to miss as he started in place of LB Cory Littleton, who is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Morrow made his presence felt, most notably when he sacked Lock and forced a fumble, which Denver recovered, and on a vicious pass break up in the second half.
Nick Morrow says hello.#DENvsLV | CBS pic.twitter.com/3hta9UFd2m
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 15, 2020
In total, he had five tackles, a quarterback sack, two passes defensed, two QB hits and his forced fumble. Morrow’s performance prompted coach Jon Gruden to say that it was the linebackers’s best game as a pro, though he wasn’t surprised by what he saw.
“He’s the same Nicholas Morrow he was last year. He’s a really good player,” Gruden said to reporters after the game. “At this point in his career, I think his experience in the system shows. I think his confidence in himself is showing. And I thought he cut it loose today and really had his best game as a Raider. I can’t wait to see this film.
“He’s such a great kid, coming from a real small school. Quite a transition for him, changing coaches, changing systems. I think he’s going to be a really good linebacker in this league for a while.”
Since defensive coordinator Paul Guenter’s defense has a notoriously long learning curve, it benefits the Raiders to have a backup that has soaked up the scheme for the last two-plus years, as Gruden hit on. Morrow, who was undrafted out of Greenville University, could cut it loose and rely on his instinct, resulting in perhaps his best game when the Raiders needed him to step up.
The ability to cut it loose, or lack thereof, could be part of Littleton’s problem. He’s struggled in his first year with Guenther and the Raiders. With today’s performance and the postgame praise from Gruden, playing time at LB next to Kwiatkoski is something to keep an eye on. In any event, the Raiders are lucky to have Morrow, who will look to make an impact as Las Vegas attempts to make the playoffs.
[vertical-gallery id=76084]
[lawrence-newsletter]