Tag: Raiders PFF grades

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 15 vs. Falcons

The Raiders almost earned a miracle win on Monday Night Football against the Falcons but came up short. Which players graded the highest?

The Raiders’ losing streak hit double digits after they fell to the Falcons on Monday night, and Las Vegas’ last NFL win is a distant memory.

Despite looking awful for most of the game, the Raiders had a chance at victory on the game’s last play. But quarterback Desmond Ridder, starting in place of an injured Aidan O’Connell, missed the mark on a desperate hail mary pass as time expired.

Still, some players will be happier than others when they watch the game film with teammates and coaches. Linebacker Robert Spillane earned the highest grade on the team this week from Pro Football Focus, earning a solid 86.9 score.

Two other defenders join Spillane as high-scorers this week. Safety Tre’von Moehrig continued his strong season with another standout performance. Combined with Spillane’s fellow linebacker Divine Deablo, these three give Las Vegas hope for a strong middle section of the defense in 2025.

Two offensive linemen complete the list. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller earned the No. 2 spot with an 82.6 score. Guard Jordan Meredith took the No. 5 position with a 72.2 grade. Miller is a veteran while Meredith is a young player and took over as starter midseason. They figure to play a large role next season and performed well according to PFF, but each player committed multiple penalties against the Falcons, including a false start on Miller on the game’s first snap.

Everyone on the roster has to be better, however. Coaches have to perform better as well. If they can, perhaps they’ll earn a win over the season’s final weeks, potentially saving coach Antonio Pierce’s job in the process.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 14 vs. Buccaneers

The Raiders lost again, their ninth straight defeat. But who actually performed well against the Buccaneers on Sunday?

The Raiders battled in Tampa Bay on Sunday after falling behind the Buccaneers early, and for a while, it seemed like they’d actually win a game.

But the Las Vegas offense couldn’t score enough points and the defense ran out of steam, allowing the Bucs to register a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns. It was the Raiders’ ninth straight defeat.

Some players put good performances on tape, however. Safety Tre’von Moehrig is the highest-graded Raider this week according to Pro Football Focus, earning an impressive 90.6 score. He’s followed on the list by another defender, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson.

Moehrig led his team in tackles and recovered a fumble, and Chaisson had an incredible interception after tipping the football at the line of scrimmage. Each player registered half of a QB sack and Moehrig had three pass breakups.

They’re followed on the list by three young players on offense: running back Sincere McCormick, tight end Brock Bowers, and center Jackson Powers-Johnson. McCormick started in the backfield and responded with 78 yards on 15 carries. He’ll get more opportunities to adjust to the NFL as the season winds down.

Bowers had a quiet day as a receiver with just three catches, though he had a long reception of 25 yards. He’s still in the running for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Powers-Johnson has displayed a lot of skill at center since he took over for offensive lineman Andre James, but the rookie needs to reduce his penalties and miscues as part of the maturity process.

After nine straight weeks of PFF grades following a Raiders loss, when will we see how the team grades after a win? That’s uncertain, but Las Vegas will try for victory again on Monday night against the Falcons in Las Vegas.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 13 vs. Chiefs

The Raiders lost in spectacular fashion against the Chiefs on Black Friday, but who played the best for Las Vegas despite the defeat?

The Raiders and Chiefs put on a show for a national audience on Black Friday, but Kansas City escaped with a win as Las Vegas was left to wonder what could have been.

The Raiders were in position to kick a game-winning field goal but ran one too many plays, resulting in a miss-timed snap, fumble, and a crushing last-second defeat.

However, some Raiders had a productive day. Tight end Brock Bowers was spectacular, catching 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. He’s the highest-graded player on the team this week, according to Pro Football Focus.

The No. 2 player on the list is graded 10 points below Bowers’ impressive 90.6 rating. Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu earned playing time on Friday and rewarded his coaches with three tackles and a pass breakup. He helped the Raiders’ strong run defense on Friday.

Three more players on offense — quarterback Aidan O’Connell, running back Sincere McCormick, and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers — complete the list this week.  That’s no surprise, as the Raiders offense outgained the Chiefs offense by a healthy margin, 434 to 329.

But at some point, it would be nice for the Raiders to earn grades from PFF after a victory. Las Vegas has lost eight straight, and coach Antonio Pierce probably has to win a game or two to save his job, regardless of how hard his team plays on gameday. They’ll try for a win aginst Tampa Bay in Week 14.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 12 vs. Broncos

The Raiders keep losing, and their streak has hit seven games. Which players had a good day despite the defeat in Las Vegas on Sunday?

The Raiders’ prolonged slide continued on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium when they lost their seventh consecutive game, this time to their AFC West rival, the Broncos.

Coach Antonio Pierce saw his team fight hard until the end, and even though it wasn’t enough for a win, some players had good days despite the defeat. Defensive end Maxx Crosby received the best grade on the team from Pro Football Focus this week, earning an “A” with his 90.1 score.

Crosby didn’t record a quarterback sack but had three tackles for loss, including two in a row late in the game. They set up a third-and-15 play the Broncos couldn’t convert, forcing a field goal attempt.

Curiously, the rest of the players on PFF’s list are offensive linemen, led by guard Jordan Meredith. The Raiders offensive line has struggled to create open lanes for running backs this season and Las Vegas had just 69 rushing yards.

But Raiders running backs had just 13 carries total compared to 53 pass attempts for Las Vegas. That’s a huge disparity, and the lack of balance makes it tougher to block overall. Despite five QB sacks surrendered vs. Denver, this group had perhaps its best game of the year.

Missing from this list is rookie tight end Brock Bowers. The Broncos slowed him significantly after he had a huge game the week before against the Dolphins. Look for him to rebound on Friday against the Chiefs, regardless of who plays quarterback for Las Vegas.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 11 vs. Dolphins

The Raiders lost their sixth straight game on Sunday against the Dolphins. Which players had a good day despite the defeat?

The Raiders lost again on Sunday, this time against the Dolphins. Despite the defeat, many NFL observers were talking about Las Vegas’ rookie sensation, tight end Brock Bowers.

But Bowers’ 13 catches for 126 yards and touchdown weren’t enough to top this week’s list of top-rated players from Pro Football Focus. That honor goes to linebacker Robert Spillane. He recorded 11 total tackles, including five solo stops. They added up to an 81.5 grade from PFF. Bowers has to settle for the No. 2 spot with an 80.7 score.

Offensive tackle Kolton Miller and defensive linemen Charles Snowden and John Jenkins fill out this week’s list.

Bowers didn’t earn the Raiders top grade this week but as this season crosses the midway point, it’s clear that he’s not a future superstar; he’s a superstar right now. New offensive coordinator Scott Turner used Bowers as his primary weapon on Sunday in Miami and will likely continue to do so, so look for Bowers to be on this list most weeks, if not every week for the rest of the campaign.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated from Week 5 vs. Broncos

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated from Week 5 vs. Broncos

The Raiders lost in blowout fashion on Sunday in Denver, but it wasn’t all bad.

Though in reality, there isn’t much for Raiders fans to be excited about after quarterback Gardner Minshew’s 100-yard pick-6 interception ruined a promising start, prompting the Broncos to score 34 unanswered points.

However, there’s at least one beacon of hope for Las Vegas: rookie tight end Brock Bowers. He had his first career touchdown Sunday, an incredible 57-yard catch and run.

Bowers took the top spot on Pro Football Focus’ weekly list of highest-graded Raiders, earning an 82.7 rating.

Linebacker Robert Spillane took the No. 2 spot, though even he looked lost on a handful of plays against the Broncos. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller also graded well, earning the No. 3 spot this week. He’s struggled in pass protection since missing most of the preseason with injury, so that’s a great sign for Las Vegas.

Defensive end Charles Snowden and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers close out the list this week. Snowden followed his game-winning QB sack from last week with a solid day, playing 46 percent of the time on defense. Meyers stepped up admirably for injured and disgruntled star Davante Adams, though he did have a big drop as the Raiders were struggling to hold off the Broncos’ onslaught.

The Raiders got it right when they drafted Bowers. Now they have to start getting more things right, first in-season and then roster building in the coming offseason. First up: deciding who will throw to Bowers this Sunday against the Steelers, Minshew or QB Aidan O’Connell.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated from Week 4 vs. Browns

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated from Week 4 vs. Browns

The Raiders beat the Browns on Sunday, but not until defensive end Charles Snowden sacked Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson in the game’s final seconds. But another Las Vegas EDGE player earned the top spot on Pro Football Focus’ weekly list of highest-graded Raiders.

It’s former first-round pick Tyree Wilson. He finished with an 82.7 grade to pace the silver and black.

Wilson didn’t make a large impact on Sunday with conventional statistics. He had one tackle and two QB hits. But it was easy to see that he provided pressure on passing downs early in the game. Plus, he played over 70 percent of the snaps on defense, so this grade is no fluke. If Wilson, the former first-round draft pick, can build off this performance, it could be huge for the Raiders.

Two more defenders made the list. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins had his best game as a Raider and earned a 78.6 grade. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao entered the starting lineup in place of injured S Marcus Epps and was an immediate impact player, earning a grade just below Wilkins’ at 78.2.

Two players on offense closed the list out, and they both stepped up for injured teammates as well. Tight end Harrison Bryant subbed in for TE Michael Mayer, who was ruled out on Sunday for personal reasons. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers stepped up in the absence of injured star WR Davante Adams.

But no question, Wilson’s performance is the headline here. He’s underperformed in his short career, but he’s been dealing with injuries since the NFL Draft process. If he can provide a boost on the edge to help superstar DE Maxx Crosby when he returns from his ankle injury, the Raiders defense could take a massive leap forward.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest-rated from Week 2 vs Ravens

5 highest-rated Raiders from Week 2 win over Ravens

The Raiders’ fortunes look bright after their comeback win against the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, as the Las Vegas offense sprang to life in the second half.

This week’s grades from Pro Football Focus tell the story. The Raiders’ top two receiving options in the win, wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Brock Bowers, are PFF’s top-rated players. Bowers earned top honors with an impressive 83.1 grade.

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Quarterback Gardner Minshew also made the cut. That’s a huge change from a week ago, when only one player on offense, guard Dylan Parham, graded in the top five.

The Raiders defense had a banner day in Baltimore as well. Defensive end Maxx Crosby had a huge impact and made PFF’s weekly list for the second time in a row. And while linebacker Robert Spillane made multiple impact plays, fellow linebacker Divine Deablo graded ahead of him this time. That’s a great sign for a defense that will continue to be tested all season long.

If Minshew and the offense can get the run game going and continue utilizing the elite skill of Adams and Bowers, the Raiders could make some noise this season, considering how good the defense looks through two weeks. Next week’s home game against the Panthers is an ideal opportunity to put it all together.