Raiders player grades – Page 5

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 vs Colts

The Raiders have not made things easy at all the past few weeks. But they have managed to pull out three wins, which, in the end, is what matters.

In this one, they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had a 13-3 lead with seconds left in the first half. But in a matter of fewer than three minutes from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter, they found themselves trailing 17-13.

That remained the score to start of the fourth quarter, due in large part to Derek Carr throwing his second interception of the game. But the Raiders were able to put things together on offense in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead. Then with the score tied 20-20 with just under two minutes left in they were able to move into range of a game-winning field goal.

Ballers

WR Hunter Renfrow

The catch of the game was the one that put the Raiders in position for that game-winning field goal. Derek Carr sidestepped an oncoming rusher and stepped up in the pocket. Renfrow saw his quarterback trying to extend the play, so he broke off his route and made himself available.

Carr saw Renfrow and tossed it where hopefully only he could get it. Renfrow adjusted to make a brilliant diving 26-yard grab. After a few clock-draining plays, the Raiders ended the game.

Carr knew where to look for his outlet in part because his only touchdown of the day happened in a similar fashion. It was fourth and two from the 11-yard-line Renfrow had run his route and quickly diagnosed he needed to get to an open spot for his quarterback and Carr threw it there for the TD.

Renfrow caught a total of seven passes in this game to move into sole possession of the third-most catches in Raiders history. He is the most dependable outlet a QB can ask for.

On the opening drive alone, Renfrow made a 14-yard catch and an eight-yard catch on third and three to put the team in first down at the Indianapolis 40-yard-line. They would drive for a touchdown on that opening drive.

Even with his heavy workload as a receiver, Renfrow still returns punts. Late in the first quarter, he put the Raiders in great field position with a 41-yard return to the Indianapolis 35-yard-line. The Raiders got a field goal out of it.

Their next scoring drive, Renfrow caught a 12-yard pass on third and 13, allowing the Raiders to go for it on fourth and one. They picked it up and added another field goal. He added a five-yard catch on third and seven that set up his touchdown on fourth and two to finish with 76 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

The Colts started the game with a three-and-out. They didn’t gain a yard on those three plays because after a three-yard run on first down, Ngakoue blew up a pitch play leading to a three-yard loss.

Early in the second quarter, with the Raiders up 10-0, the Colts mounted a long drive entirely on the ground. That drive stalled starting with Ngakoue getting held. That led to a third and long and Ngakoue put a hit on Carson Wentz to force an incompletion and hold them to a field goal.

Come to the end of the second quarter, the Colts went on another long drive. This time they moved into first and goal at the one-yard-line where Ngakoue got in the backfield again to lay another hit on Wentz for another incompletion. Ultimately it took a run on third down for them to get into the endzone.

Suddenly down 17-13, and with Carr being intercepted for the second time, the defense had to step up to give the Raiders another chance to take back the lead. On third and six, Ngakoue sacked Wentz. Yannick was even held on the play and still got through. The holding was declined.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were once again threatening. The Raiders were up 20-17, so holding them to a field goal was crucial. On second down, he disrupted a short pass play that was then stopped for no gain and set up third and long. They couldn’t convert and settled for a field goal.

Ngakoue finished with a sack, four QB hits, and a tackle for loss.

WR Zay Jones

Jones had the longest catch (11 yards) on the Raiders’ second scoring drive, the longest catch on their third scoring drive (26 yards), the longest catch of the game (42 yards) to set up their fourth score, and a 14-yard catch on their game-winning drive. He would finish with a career-high 120 yards on eight catches.

CB Nate Hobbs

Hobbs’ inclusion here could stand only to make the team and fans that much more frustrated with his actions after the game. Hobbs was arrested on DUI charges after being found passed out in his car at 4 am Monday. Incredibly irresponsible especially in light of the Henry Ruggs III tragic accident and Josh Jacobs’s DUI arrest earlier this year.

As for his game performance, he was on point. He got stronger as the game went along. He had a run stop in the third quarter, then led out the fourth quarter with a QB hit leading to an incompletion.

Late in the fourth quarter, he was flagged for pass interference on a play he pretty cleared played perfectly. Then he shook it off and ended the drive anyway, making a run stuff and then making the tackle on a short catch on third and long to force a field goal and give the Raiders plenty of time left to respond.

Clearly, the rookie cornerback had plenty to celebrate. You just wish he would have celebrated more responsibly.

LT Kolton Miller

Derek Carr saw some pressure in this game and was hit a few times as well. But none of it came from Kolton Miller’s side of the line.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 16 vs Broncos

For the second week in a row, the Raiders pulled out a low-scoring affair. This time they stood strong against the Broncos despite three turnovers and held on for a 17-13 win. They improve to 8-7 on the season and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Ballers

DE Maxx Crosby. DT Quinton Jefferson, DT Darius Philon

Head coach Rich Bisaccia used a lot of words to describe the Raiders defense. One of them was “relentless”. That word was clearly used to describe these three.

On the first Broncos’ possession, Philon made a run stuff to set up third and long. They couldn’t pick it up and they punted.

Crosby and Jefferson ended the Broncos’ second drive. They had just moved into Vegas territory after a pass interference call on Casey Hayward. Then Crosby marched them back onto their side of the field with his sixth sack of the season and his first sack in nine weeks. The next play Jefferson made the stop on a three-yard run. Then on third and 14, Crosby chased down the screen attempt to stop it at one yard.

The next drive, Philon made another run stuff at the line to help end a promising drive by the Broncos and hold them to a field goal.

Crosby and Jefferson did it again on the Broncos’ first drive of the third quarter with Crosby flying into the backfield to blow up the run for a three-yard loss then two plays later on third and nine he and Jefferson both got pressure to force an incompletion.

Down 17-13 late in the fourth quarter, the Broncos had one shot. They converted on fourth and two to keep their drive alive. But on third and ten, Jefferson made the sack for a seven-yard loss. Facing fourth and 17 they opted to punt. All the Raiders needed to do after that was run some clock and kneel it out.

These three were directly responsible for holding the Broncos to 18 yards rushing and a major factor in holding them to just one third-down conversion.

WR Zay Jones, TE Foster Moreau

With Darren Waller and Bryan Edwards both out, Moreau and Jones needed to step up and perform like starters. They did an admirable job in that endeavor. Both as receivers and blockers.

Moreau had the first big catch of the day making a 16-yard grab on third and three on the Raiders’ first drive.

The next drive, Zay Jones took over as Derek Carr’s favorite target on the day. First, it was Moreau making a key block on a Jacobs six-yard run. Then on third and four, Jones made the catch for the first down. With the Raiders at the Denver 23-yard-line, Jones made a 15-yard catch to put them in first and goal at the six. Two plays later, Hunter Renfrow made the catch for the touchdown to put the Raiders up 7-0.

Jones made a six-yard catch to lead out the Raiders’ final scoring drive. Then he and Moreau both laid key blocks to spring Josh Jacobs for a 10-yard run to put the Raiders in the red zone. They settled for a field goal and a 17-13 lead.

That would prove to be enough. With one first down needed to kneel out the clock, Moreau squirted through the stacked box and Carr lofted a rainbow to him. He made the catch to end the game.

RB Josh Jacobs, RG Alex Leatherwood

The game didn’t start well on the ground. Jacobs had just 25 yards on nine carries. And with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, he took a dump pass and subsequently fumbled it off his own knee with no one around him. It’s to his credit that he landed here for what he did after that. And he had some help from an unlikely source.

In the first play of the third quarter, Jacobs picked up eight yards with Leatherwood leading the way on the block. He then had runs of eight, three, eight, 19, four, and eight yards. Two of the eight-yard runs and the 19-yard run had Leatherwood making the hole for him. Then Peyton Barber finished it off with a five-yard touchdown run to put the Raiders back in front 14-13.

The Raiders’ final scoring drive saw Derek Carr pick up the first down on the QB keeper on fourth and one by following behind Leatherwood. Then on third and two, Leatherwood blocked for Jalen Richard on a five-yard run. Jacobs picked up ten more a few plays later to put the Raiders in scoring position. Then they got six yards closer with Leatherwood blocking on a Barber run. The drive stalled there leading to a field goal.

In order to close out the game, the Raiders needed two first downs. They got the first on a 13-yard Jacobs run. Then runs of three and five yards put them in third and short which forced the Broncos to play up to the line to try and stop another run. The Raiders picked it up by passing over it.

CB Keisean Nixon, CB Desmond Trufant

These two stepped in for their most extensive action this season. Nixon came in for Nate Hobbs who had been out all week on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Trufant is fourth on the depth chart to start at that outside cornerback spot. They both stepped up and played key roles in the Raiders’ big day on defense.

Trufant made the stop on a two-yard catch on third and nine to end the Broncos’ first drive.

Nixon may have stopped the Broncos on the second drive, but for a highly questionably roughing the passer flag on Clelin Ferrell. First Nixon had containment to lead the back into a stuff by Denzel Perryman. Then Nixon made the tackle for a minimal gain on second down. That would’ve set up third-and-long if not for the phantom Ferrell roughing.

On the next drive, Nixon made the tackle on a four-yard reception on second and 24 to set up third and 20. The Broncos wouldn’t pick it up and settled for a field goal.

The next Broncos possession began with Trufant having tight coverage deep, leading to an incompletion. They would go three-and-out.

Trufant would give up a 20-yard catch on the first Broncos play of the third quarter, but two plays later he made the tackle on a four-yard catch to set up third and nine and they couldn’t pick it up.

The next drive Trufant made the stop on a three-yard catch on third and seven. The Broncos set up to attempt what would have been a go-ahead 55-yard field goal and it missed wide left.

The final Broncos’ drive saw Nixon chase down Drew Lock on a scramble on third and seven to stop him short of the sticks. The Broncos went for it on fourth and two with Trufant giving up an 18-yard catch. Two plays later, Trufant made up for it with tight coverage to force an incompletion and set up third and ten. Lock was then sacked to end the threat.

Trufant finished as the Raiders’ leading tackler with seven combined tackles, all solo tackles. Nixon added three tackles. Both played well enough to get Hobbs back to health and Brandon Facyson back from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Honorable Mention

LB Denzel Perryman — Though it may not always show up in tangible ways, this defense is clearly a lot better with him on the field.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 15 vs Browns

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 15 matchup with Browns

No question the Raiders vs Browns on Monday was not pretty. It wasn’t really expected to be, based mostly on the fact that the Browns were missing 19 players to the reserve/COVID-19 list including starting QB Baker Mayfield and backup QB Case Keenum.

But also due to how the Raiders have played of late. It made this game against a bunch of practice squad guys no gimme. And that’s just how it played out.

Neither team managed to get out of the teens in the game. The Raiders started out 10-0, then the Browns came back to take the lead 14-13 with the Raiders defense holding strong late to give the Raiders offense another chance and they were able to move into scoring range to win it 16-14.

Ballers

SS Johnathan Abram

Abram was laying some serious wood in this game. He made the first tackle of the game. Then a few plays later, he flew into the backfield to blow up a run play at the handoff for a seven-yard loss, leading to a punt.

Abram made tackles on each of the next two Browns’ possession, including the tackle on third down to force a third straight punt to open the game.

Just as he began the first quarter, he opened the third quarter with a tackle. It was another run stuff for a loss, leading to another three-and-out and a fourth punt. In the end, Abram would lead the Raiders with nine combined tackles (six solo) and two tackles for loss. Despite leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury.

That shoulder injury, as it turns out, will end his season. So, he went out strong at least.

RB Josh Jacobs

The Raiders had four first downs on their second scoring drive and Jacobs picked up three of them. The drive made it as far as the six-yard-line with Jacobs running for 24 yards on five carries. But despite his success, the Raiders abandoned the run at first and goal and thus the drive stopped there.

Their next scoring drive also heavily featured Jacobs. He ran five more times for 22 yards and picked up one first down. But once again, the drive stalled on two incompletions, leading to another field goal.

Jacobs would add a nine-yard catch on the Raiders’ game-winning drive at the end to finish with 18 touches (15 rushes) for 94 yards (52 rushing).

DT Johnathan Hankins, LB KJ Wright, LB Divine Deablo

The game ended with off a drive by the offense, but the play of the game came on defense. With 2:31 remaining and the Raiders out of timeouts, the Browns lined up in third and three for the game. They get the first down and they run out the clock. The defense holds, and the Raiders get another shot.

The defense held.

Nick Chubb came around the right side and was met by Hankins with Deablo and Wright on the assist.

Hankins was filling gaps all day, Wright finished second on the team in tackles (8), and the rookie Deablo proved reliable as well in his second start.

K Daniel Carlson

Carlson was three-for-three in the game, including the game-winner from 48 yards out as time expired. In fact, he hit that 48-yarder twice because the Browns called a timeout to ice him. He hit the second attempt more accurate than the first.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 14 vs Chiefs

It was a historic day for the Raiders and Chiefs Sunday. The right kind of history for the Chiefs. The wrong kind for the Raiders. The history was that the 48-9 Chiefs win was the widest margin in the more than the 60-year rivalry between the two teams.

For this week’s Ballers & Busters, I’m only going to focus on the 33-point halftime margin. Because with the Chiefs jumping out to a 35-0 lead, this one was over by halftime. Nothing after that mattered.

Ballers

No one

Yup. No one. There wasn’t a single performance in this game that deserved to land them among the Ballers. Some might argue Hunter Renfrow with his 13 catches for 117 yards and a TD was surely worthy of Baller status. But I would argue that his fumble that led to the Chiefs’ fifth touchdown renders his stats null and void. Call me a hardass, but that was a big mistake that had a greater impact on this game than any and all catches he made.

Honorable Mention

DE Clelin Ferrell — Had a sack and disrupted a screen play.

LB Divine Deablo — Finished second on the team with nine tackles (four solo). If you add the special team’s tackle, he led the team in tackles.

Busters

DE Yannick Ngakoue

One of the dumbest decisions you’ll see a player on a team do, let alone a CAPTAIN, was to lead his Raiders teammates to the center of the field at Arrowhead to trample on the Chiefs logo prior to the game. Several of his teammates were clearly not happy about the decision but felt as a team they needed to go along with it.

The Chiefs didn’t really need any extra motivation. Their rallying cry all week was revenge for the Raiders doing laps around Arrowhead last year. But in case that fury was subsiding, Ngakoue made sure to renew it just prior to game time.

Then Ngakoue just flat had a bad game. He didn’t positively impact a single play in the first half. His one play was a sack in the second half for some window dressing.

On the Chiefs’ first scoring drive, he was offsides on third and eight. Then on third and three, the Chiefs scored on a swing pass.

Already up 28-0, the Chiefs would get one more shot before halftime thanks to the Renfrow fumble. They would drive to the 15-yard-line where they set up in third and five. Then Ngakoue didn’t keep containment, allowing Patrick Mahomes to scramble for nine yards to put the Chiefs in first and goal from the six. On the next play, Ngakoue was out of his gap to give up the six-yard touchdown run and make it 35-0.

And it all started with a captain showing a serious lapse in judgment and lack of leadership, let alone maturity. This team has lost its faith in its leaders.

RB Josh Jacobs, TE Foster Moreau

Literally, on the first play of the game, the Raiders were already in big trouble. Jacobs tried to get cute and when he felt like he didn’t see enough room in his running lane, he tried to bounce it outside. He would need to go around John Simpson and in so doing run backward.

By the time he made the wide turn, there were three Chiefs defenders to greet him. It only took one of them to rip the ball out and another to scoop it up and score. And before the Chiefs offense had even taken the field, they were spotted seven points.

The second quarter started just like the first for the Raiders. By the time they got the ball, they were down 21-0. On the second play, Derek Carr threw a perfect pass to Moreau only to have him bobble it where it ended up on the hands of Tyrann Mathieu. The Chiefs would get the ball at the Las Vegas 39-yard-line and drive for a fourth touchdown.

Things may not have gotten worse for Moreau after that, but they certainly didn’t get better. On the Renfrow fumble, Moreau was right there to fall on the loose ball, but much like the pass right into his hands earlier, he just couldn’t hold onto it and once again there was Mathieu getting the ball instead.

That turnover led to another touchdown drive. With just under two minutes left, the Raiders hoped to get things going before the half. Two of the first three plays featured Moreau flubs. He dropped the first pass. Then on third and three, he caught the pass only to get nailed right away by — guess who — Tyrann Mathieu short of the sticks. The Raiders needed to execute a fake punt to keep the drive alive. Lotta good it did at that point.

CB Trayvon Mullen

It was not great a great return to the lineup for Mullen who had been on injured reserve the past two months. He injured his toe in this game, but not until the third quarter, so he was fully available for the boat race that ensued in the first half.

The first touchdown drive by the Chiefs featured Mullen giving up a 44-yard reception. They scored the touchdown three plays later. On the fourth touchdown drive, Mullen gave up an eight-yard catch to set up third and short. Then from third and goal from the one, he gave up the TD catch to Josh Gordon.

On the Chiefs’ final TD drive of the first half, Mullen was flagged for pass interference that was good for 30 yards. Then was flagged for holding that put the Chiefs at the 20-yard-line. They scored two plays later. Just a brutal return to action for Mullen who may be back on the shelf already.

RG Alex Leatherwood, RT Brandon Parker

The disastrous duo, as I’m calling them now, was at it again. The two both gave up pressure that got Carr sacked on the Raiders’ first drive. The Raiders couldn’t recover from the seven-yard loss.

Leatherwood started out the next drive by losing his block to give up a run stuff. Then it ended with him and Parker both getting beaten again on a Carr sack.

Leatherwood would give up two more pressures and a QB hit on the Raiders’ final drive of the first half.

LB Cory Littleton

The Chiefs’ second touchdown drive featured a lot of Littleton getting beaten. These were on four consecutive plays: He gave up a 19-yard catch that put the Chiefs in Vegas territory at the 40-yard-line. Then he gave up a seven-yard run. Then he was out of position on a 28-yard catch. And finished it off by missing the tackle on a five-yard touchdown run.

IHC Rich Bisaccia

What a mess this team is. It’s a rudderless ship. That doesn’t all fall on Bisaccia. The players need to take some responsibility for their own actions or inaction as well.

Where Bisaccia really rubbed everyone wrong was the final play of the first half. It was a seemingly small thing that spoke volumes. With one play left in the first half, down 35-0, and sitting at the Kansas City seven-yard-line, he opted to line up for a 26-yard field goal.

That send the message that optics were all that mattered. That making any attempt to get back in this game was not on the table. He said after that game that he just wanted to get some points on the board before halftime. Oh, great. They saved the embarrassment of being shut out in the first half…for a historic embarrassment of a final score.

What an absolute joke. The players are talking about how some have given up. Well, when the head coach makes a call that signals he’s given up before halftime, why not? Pathetic.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 13 vs Washington

It was fallback-to-earth time for the Raiders. Coming off a big win in Dallas, the Raiders returned home to face the 5-6 Washington Football Team. And when the dust settled, both teams were 6-6, Washington continued a four-game losing streak, and the Raiders lost their fourth game of their last five.

It was game for the defenses. The Raiders couldn’t get their offense off the ground until late and didn’t put points on the board until seconds before the half. The lack of offense allowed Washington to hang around and win it 17-15 on a late field goal.

Ballers

WR Hunter Renfrow

One part of the offense that was working was their shifty slot receiver. He converted the first third down for the Raiders when he caught a pass in the left flat on third and one, broke a tackle and took it for nine yards.

Yes, third-and-Renfrow was in full effect as he converted their next third down as well, making a three-yard catch on third-and-two. He had catches for nine and ten yards on that drive as well.

In the third quarter, the Raiders went on a drive that started with a 15-yard grab by Renfrow and ended with a short field goal to pull it to a one-point game at 7-6.

After Washington scored a TD to extend their lead to 14-6, Renfrow was guarded by a linebacker and got him turned around to make a masterful catch around him for 28 yards. A few plays later, he forced a pass interference in the end zone to put the Raiders in first-and-goal from the one. They would score their only touchdown of the game off that penalty.

The following drive, Renfrow had the longest catch of the drive, getting wide open for a 16-yard gain. It put the Raiders in scoring range and they took a 15-14 lead on the ensuing field goal.

Renfrow finished with a career-high nine catches and his 102 yards were the third-most of his career.

DE Maxx Crosby

He got close on a few occasions to getting a sack in this game, but it didn’t happen. Even still, he made a significant impact. On the first drive, he got pressure in Taylor Heinicke’s face to help disrupt a screen play that was stopped for no gain. On the second drive, he made a run stop, two plays later had another pressure to force an incompletion and two plays after that, made. the tackle on third down short of the sticks to force a punt.

Washington’s final drive of the first half, Crosby made a tackle for loss on an end-around. Two plays later, there were in third and ten and he laid a hit on Heinicke as he threw. The pass fell incomplete and would have ended their drive, but for Crosby landing too hard on Heinicke and being flagged for roughing the passer. The drive still didn’t lead to a score.

The next time Washington’s offense took the field was the third quarter. And on third down, there was Crosby getting to Heinicke who somehow was able to slip out of the sack and escape the pocket. But his pass was too high and Washington punted anyway.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Raiders scored to make it a two-point game, down 14-12. Washington needed to get a score of their own, but on third-and-four, Crosby got pressure and hit Heinicke’s arm as he threw, causing the pass to flutter and be up for grabs where it was intercepted. The turnover set up the Raiders with great field position and they added a field goal to take their first lead of the game.

Crosby led a defense that held Washington to just 17 points, but it wasn’t enough.

CB Nate Hobbs

When Crosby his Heinicke’s arm, the ball looked for a moment to be intercepted by Casey Hayward. But Hayward bobbled and dropped it. Luckily Hobbs was right there to catch it on the rebound for a huge turnover.

That was the second time Hobbs had a shot at an interception off of Hayward. Early in the third quarter Hayward broke up a pass and tipped it in the air and Hobbs very nearly picked that one as well. He was quite frustrated he didn’t haul it in, but the drive ended on the next play anyway.

Hobbs had ended Washington’s previous drive as well, teaming up with Denzel Perryman to make a tackle for loss and two plays later making the tackle short of the first down marker. He finished third on the team with nine tackles along with a pass breakup and the interception.

LB Denzel Perryman

As usual, Perryman led the Raiders in tackles. He led them in combined tackles (12) and solo tackles (9). This despite getting injured in the game and missing 20 snaps of the team’s 67 defensive snaps (70%).

His absence was quite noticeable, making his importance to this Raiders defense even more obvious. For instance, their second touchdown drive occurred with him either out of the game or struggling to fight through his injury.

Prior to his injury, he was a force. Washington’s second drive lasted five plays. In the final two plays, Perryman made a run stuff and made the stop on a catch short of the sticks. The next drive he had a run stuff to bring up third and long and they didn’t convert. He had two more run stuffs on the next drive, the second for a loss.

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs scored the Raiders’ only touchdown. In first and goal from the one, he ran into a trio of Washington defenders at the line, bounced off tackle and broke out left to trot into the end zone.

The drive after that, he found a hole on the right side then hurdled a defender to pick up the first down. That put the Raiders in scoring range and they went ahead on a short field goal.

On each other their scoring drives, Jacobs had a nice play. He made a 10-yard catch on their first scoring drive and a nine-yard catch followed by a five-yard run on their second scoring drive. He finished with 90 yards (52 rushing) on 21 touches (13 carries) and the touchdown.

K Daniel Carlson

Kicked three field goals, including a 52-yarder and the 37-yard go-ahead field goal late.

Honorable Mention

S Johnathan Abram — twice blew up screens by shedding a block. The second time he was flagged with an incredibly bad low block penalty that was neither low nor a block. He also had a pass breakup.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 12 vs Cowboys

It was a happy, albeit very long, Thanksgiving for the Raiders. In a game that took nearly four hours in real-time, the Raiders would go blow-for-blow with the Cowboys and come out on top in the end with a 36-33 overtime win.

Ballers

WR DeSean Jackson

There were no questions whatsoever that the difference in this Raiders offense from their three-game losing streak was the presence of Jackson. This offense showed just how toothless it was without a deep threat since Henry Ruggs III was released.

Jackson is 12 years Ruggs’s senior, but the savvy veteran still has the speed to get open and separate from defenders. He put that on display early in this one, getting behind a defender, making the catch, and cruising 56 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead.

Just his presence was clearly opening things up for others and the Raiders offense was resurrected. With the Raiders in scoring position already late in the second quarter, Jackson forced a pass interference in the end zone that put them in first and goal from the one and they scored on the next play to give them a 14-6 lead.

Another pass interference from Jackson’s man set the Raiders up for a field goal late in the third quarter and they took a 27-19 lead. The next two Raiders scoring drives began with Jackson catches of 16 and 29 yards respectively to give the Raiders a 33-30 lead late. It’s no coincidence the game Jackson sees his snaps basically triple, the Raiders score a season-high 36 points.

K Daniel Carlson

Five field goals — a career-high. A 56-yard field goal to give the Raiders a late lead — a career-high. Game-winner in overtime — BALLER. Turkey leg. Goodnight.

DT Johnathan Hankins

Hankins is a big man. He likes to eat. It was Thanksgiving. And he was feasting. Four different times in this game, Big Hank made the big play on the drive.

We start with the Cowboys’ third drive. On the first play, Hankins stuffs a run for two yards. That helped lead to a three-and-out. Next drive he was held on a run. Three plays late, the drive was over.

The first Dallas drive of the third quarter featured Hankins batting a ball down at the line. The drive would stall a few plays later. In the final possession of the third quarter, Hankins stuffed a run for one yard and it led to another three-and-out.

The overtime period began with the Cowboys on offense at their own seven-yard-line. On the second play, Hankins ran down a screen — yes all 340 pounds of him — to make the stop at four yards. It led to a three-and-out and a punt from their own end zone. The Raiders would then drive for the game-winner.

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs put up a season-high 87 yards rushing and had 112 yards from scrimmage. He also scored a touchdown from one yard out late in the second quarter to give the Raiders a 14-6 lead.

The next Raiders drive saw him break a tackle on a screen pass and go for 17 yards. He added a nine-yard run from the 20 and a three-yard run to put the Raiders in third and goal from the three, but the Raiders couldn’t get the TD and settled for a chip shot field goal.

Early in the third, Jacobs would help the Raiders get back into goal-to-go with consecutive six-yard runs. This time Mariota came in and faked the handoff to Jacobs and took it in for the touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

In the overtime period, Jacobs started the Raiders’ drive with an eight-yard catch off a swing pass, followed by an 18-yard run that put the Raiders in Dallas territory at the 49. They would go on to win it on a short field goal.

WR Hunter Renfrow, QB Derek Carr

Carr was slinging it again and Renfrow was his favorite target. So much so that the shifty slot receiver set career marks in catches (8) and yards (134). He also had career-long catches TWICE in this game.

The day started with Carr throwing a surgical pass over the defender to Desean Jackson for a 56-yard touchdown. The next two scoring drives would feature completions on third and long to Bryan Edwards (12 yards) and Zay Jones (12 yards).

Early in the third quarter, Carr connected with Renfrow for 31 yards — a new career-long catch for Renfrow. It would put the Raiders at the Dallas 44. Two plays later Carr went back to Renfrow for 14 yards. That drive would end in a touchdown.

The Cowboys would answer with a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown by Tony Pollard. Carr was inspired by Pollard’s wheels and on the ensuing drive, he broke off a season-best 22-yard run on third and 11. That drive would lead to a field goal and a 27-19 lead.

Carr found Jackson again for 16 yards to begin the next drive. Then Renfrow broke open deep and made another career-long catch of 54 yards to the Dallas 15. They would settle for a field goal and a 30-22 lead.

No doubt the Raiders and Derek Carr benefited greatly from a few pass interference penalties in this game. But even with the yards on those penalties, Carr still completed 24 passes for 373 yards and a touchdown.

S Johnathan Abram, DE Yannick Ngakoue

The Cowboys opened the game with a three-and-out with Ngakoue making the run stop on second down and Abram making the tackle on a one-yard catch on third and four.

After a Dallas scoring drive, they went three-and-out again. On third and 13, Abram had coverage on an incompletion.

With the Raiders holding a 17-6 lead late in the second quarter, Ngakoue got around Tyron Smith to put a hit on Dak Prescott to force an incompletion. Two plays later, they would attempt a 59-yard field goal and miss it, giving the Raiders good field position.

With a chance to take a lead early in the third quarter, the Raiders defense stiffened up just in time. On third and ten, Abram made the stop on a seven-yard screen to force a punt.

Later in the quarter, the Cowboys would score on a 100-yard kick return. They opted to go for two and Abram burst past his blocker to blow up the play and keep the score at 24-19. That would turn out to be a crucial stop.

Early in the fourth quarter, it appeared for a moment that Abram had given up a touchdown. But Ngakoue was held on the play and the Cowboys were marched back to third and 13 and would settle for a field goal. The next Dallas possession ended with and three-and-out and Ngakoue sacking Prescott on third and five.

Just as Abram stopped the two-point conversion attempt earlier, he surrendered one on a catch late in the fourth that tied up the game at 30-30. But you can’t fault him too much because had he not made the first stop, that would have been an extra-point attempt for the lead.

Abram would put up two tackles on the Cowboys’ final drive of regulation and the first tackle of overtime to finish with a team-leading ten combined tackles.

Ngakoue would add his team-leading eighth sack of the season and lead the team in this game with two QB hits and a tackle for loss.

P AJ Cole

Four of his five punts were stopped inside the 20. He finished with a net of 45.4 yards per punt.

LG John Simpson

He made the block to clear the way for Josh Jacobs to score untouched from one yard out. The next drive he blocked for Kenyan Drake on a four-yard run that put the Raiders in first and goal. Simpson’s biggest play came on the next drive when he recovered Derek Carr’s fumble off the strip-sack.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 11 vs Bengals

Not a lot went right for the Raiders in this one. As evidenced by their 47 offensive snaps, which is the fewest by a Raiders team in 12 years. That was caused by short, stalled offensive drives, and long, drawn-out drives by the Bengals.

The offense was completely inept all save one drive in which they drove 75 yards for a TD on three plays. The defense’s biggest problem seemed to be untimely penalties on plays that would have led to a punt but instead ended up leading to scores. Thus the 32-13 final score.

A few players stood out of the pack in an overall ugly affair.

Ballers

TE Darren Waller

Several early drives began with a long completion to Waller before stalling. Until finally, Carr managed to find him twice on a drive for 54 yards, then connected with Foster Moreau for their only touchdown of the game. Waller would finish with a season-high 116 yards on seven catches.

LB Denzel Perryman

Perryman made the first tackle of the game. Then added a pass breakup on the same drive which ended in a strip-sack by Yannick Ngakoue. Late in the third quarter, with the Raiders still within a score, Perryman had a drive in which he made a run stuff at the line, broke up a pass, and streaked into the backfield to make his second tackle for loss in the game.

That would lead to the Bengals having to settle for a field goal and kept the game close until late in the fourth.

Perryman would do what he usually does; lead the team in tackles (12) and solo tackles (9). Two of those tackles were for a loss and he added two pass breakups as well.

CB Casey Hayward

He just continues being an invisible man out there. Which is to say he isn’t giving up much in the way of catches, let alone touchdowns. The first moment he was noticed in this game was coming up to help make a tackle for loss on third and one, leading to one of just two Bengals punts in the game.

Hayward would make another tackle for loss in the third quarter that helped lead to the Bengals settling for a long field goal.

C Andre James

He was solid in the run and pass game, keeping pressure out of the backfield and giving up no run stuffs. He was also the key block downfield on Josh Jacobs’s 18-yard run in the third quarter.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 10 vs Chiefs

A letdown against the Giants last week gave way to a rout against the rival Chiefs Sunday. There were signs early that this one could get away from the Raiders quickly. But a big drive early in the third kept the game within reach. Until it wasn’t.

Ballers

WR Bryan Edwards

Edwards led the Raiders in receiving, putting up 88 yards on three catches. He also got behind his man on a play forcing a pass interference that led the Raiders’ first touchdown.

Their second touchdown was a 37-yard strike caught by Edwards who was bracketed by defenders. He also had catches of 27 yards and 24 yards, which were the three longest plays of the game for the Raiders.

DE Maxx Crosby

Though he was unable to notch a sack in the game, he still got in the backfield quite a bit, putting up 13 pressures in the game and two QB hits.

Crosby made the stop on a run for no gain on the second play of the game, leading to a three-and-out to begin the game.

Late in the third quarter, he was held on a play with the Chiefs at the 17-yard-line. Then on third down, he chased down Patrick Mahomes to force him to throw it away. They would settle for a field goal which kept it at a two-score game. The game got away from the Raiders after that.

P AJ Cole

The Raiders had one turnover in the game. It was Cole making the tackle on a punt return by putting his head right on the ball to knock it out and give the Raiders the ball at the 50-yard-line. That set up the Raiders’ first touchdown. For a punter to do that is Baller worthy stuff.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 9 vs Giants

Based on the Raiders and Giants’ records and how they’ve played this season, the Raiders should’ve handled their business in New York. But the Raiders were dealing with much larger issues.

The Raiders struggled to keep their head above water against the Giants and despite six trips into the end zone put up just 16 points. On top of it, they turned the ball over three times. That’s a recipe for a loss.

Ballers

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs was running angry in this game. He was decisive and sharp and when facing prospective tacklers, he was aggressive and violent in his running style. He got the ball five times on the Raiders opening drive, picking up 45 yards on the ground.

The biggest run went for 18 yards to set the Raiders up in first and goal from the six. A four-yard run got them close to the goal line and they scored the TD on the next play.

Following a turnover that gave the Raiders the ball at the New York 30-yard-line, Jacobs picked up 21 yards on two plays to put the Raiders in first and goal at the nine. They would get a field goal out of it to take a 10-7 lead.

Early in the third quarter, he had two of his best runs of the day. The first he laid a wicked stiff arm to pick up 14 yards. The second juked a defender in the open field to go for 18 yards. The Raiders got a field goal out of it to pull to within one point, down 17-16.

Jacobs finished with a season-high 76 yards on 13 carries and added 19 yards on four catches.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

After the Raiders tied up the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, Ngakoue got the edge and sacked Daniel Jones, stripping the ball where it was recovered by Darius Philon to give the Raiders the ball at the New York 30-yard-line. The Raiders were able to score a field goal to take a 10-7 lead.

In the second quarter, the Giants went on a long drive, looking to retake the lead. Ngakoue again sacked Jones to assure they would settle for a field goal to tie.

It was Ngakoue’s third multiple sack game of the season, giving him six on the season and moving him past teammate Maxx Crosby (five) for the team lead.

TE Darren Waller

With the receiving corps struggling to get open without a deep threat, it was Waller time. He was targeted 11 times and caught seven passes for 92 yards, which is his best numbers since the season opener.

The real shame is that Waller should have had a much better day. At least four times Carr missed him in the end zone. Three of those were off-target passes. The other he didn’t even throw it. Even with those misses, Waller had a good day. It was just a day of missed opportunities.

He had a 19-yard catch that put them in scoring range at the end of the first half. He opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yard catch on a drive that ended in a missed field goal. His next catch went for 12 yards on a drive that ended in an interception. And he had a 19-yard catch and an eight-yard catch on the final drive that ended in a fumble.

TE Foster Moreau

No catches? No targets? No problem. Moreau was doing work as a blocker in this one. He cleared the way on a Jacobs 18-yard run in the first quarter, another 18-yard run in the third quarter that was wiped away by an illegal formation penalty (thanks Dillon Stoner!), and a 21-yard run by Kenyan Drake in the fourth. Just to name a few.

RB Kenyan Drake

Drake was churning out the yards and finished with 100 yards from scrimmage on ten touches. His big drive came to open the fourth quarter where he had a 21-yard run followed by a 22-yard catch and run, and then an 11-yard catch to put the Raiders in the red zone.

Then on the final drive, Drake had a nine-yard catch and picked up 17 yards on a screen play.

Honorable Mention

S Dallin Leavitt — Had a solid tackle on a return to stop it inside the 20, recovered a Hunter Renfrow fumble on a return, and made a tackle short of the sticks on third down. Well rounded day for the special teams maven.

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Raiders 2021 midseason Ballers & Busters

We are seven games in and the Raiders are coming off their bye week, so it’s a good time to check in to see who is making some noise for the team over the first part. Both in a positive and a negative way.

Currently, the Raiders sit at 5-2, leading the AFC West. A great place to be. The all-important second half awaits. But they have set themselves up in a good place record-wise in order to try and make a run at the playoffs.

It wasn’t all good, but let’s start there.