Ballers for Raiders Week 9 loss to Bengals

Picking out the individual performances in the Raiders loss to the Bengals in Week 9.

Another early strong effort eventually crumbled and got away from the Raiders just as has happened so many times this season. And ultimately the game was over by midway through the third quarter.

Before that happened, however, there were some positive performances to mention.

Ballers

WR Jakobi Meyers

Believe it or not, Meyers surpassed 100 yards receiving for the first time as a Raider. Hard to believe considering how much he has meant to this team since they signed him prior to last season.

He got things started with the longest play on the Raiders opening drive, catching a 22-yard pass to put them at the Cincinnati 23. They went on to score an opening drive touchdown.

The next drive, he led out with a 15-yard grab to the Cincy 49 and then had the longest catch again, going for 23 yards on a slant to put the Raiders in field goal range at the 26. From there they tied it up at 10-10. Meyers would add two more catches for 22 yards on the Raiders final drive of the first half that nearly got them into scoring range again.

C Jackson Powers-Johnson, G Jordan Meredith

These two were doing some serious work on the Raiders opening drive. The Raiders run game actually looked proficient and it was because of these two pushing defenders around. They ran the ball seven times on the opening drive. The three longest ones either JPJ, Meredith or both laid key blocks. And JPJ opened up the hole one what was initially ruled a TD (and probably should have stood) on first and goal.

Funny thing is, the only reason either of these two are playing the positions they’re playing is because of injuries. But they are earning the right to keep those jobs.

CB Jack Jones

Early in the fourth quarter, he had a pick six to make the game a bit interesting late. Then he ended the next Bengals possession with a pass breakup on third down.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 41-24 defeat vs. Bengals

The Raiders lost their fifth straight game to drop to 2-7. Which players and coaches stood out more than others?

The Raiders were blown out yet again on Sunday, losing 41-24 to the Bengals in Cincinnati (4-5).

After a pick-6 interception from cornerback Jack Jones gave Las Vegas life in the fourth quarter, the Raiders’ poor play continued and they ultimately suffered their fifth-straight loss.

Starting quarterback Gardner Mindshew was benched in favor of reserve QB Desmond Ridder in the third quarter, but the offense still struggled, especially as the Raiders offensive line adjusted to multiple mid-game injuries.

Here are the winners and losers for the week as this disappointing season continues in Las Vegas (2-7).

Winner: CB Jack Jones

Ridder had already entered and the game seemed out of reach when Jones notched pick-6. The play made the game a two-score contest and temporarily injected life into the Raiders.

Jones had nice coverage on a 3rd-and-4 play to force a Bengals punt when Cincinnati got the ball back. But the Raiders offense, still led by Ridder, continued to stall and the game slipped away from the Raiders, seemingly for the second time in one afternoon.

Winner: Decamerion Richardson

It wasn’t much, but rookie cornerback Decamerion Richardson had a nice coverage play near the end zone early in this contest. For a rookie who hasn’t seen the field much, it was a huge win. The play held Cincinnati to a field goal and a 10-7 lead.

Winner: Jakobi Meyers

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers led the Raiders in receiving yards for the second straight week, notching eight catches on 11 targets for 105 yards. After the departure of Davante Adams, Meyers has proven he can be a No. 1 wide receiver for Las Vegas.

Winner: S Tre’von Moehrig

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, under very little pressure, threw five touchdown passes, and the Cincinnati offense had 130 rushing yards, so there was plenty of action in the Raiders secondary. Safety Tre’von Moehrig responded with a solid performance. He had 13 total tackles, a QB hit, and half of Las Vegas’ only QB sack of the day.

Loser: DC Patrick Graham

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said he was worried about Burrow this week, and his fears came true. The Raiders failed to pressure the Bengals quarterback, allowing four touchdown throws that put the game away and a fifth for good measure after a late Raiders miscue on special teams. Plus, Graham’s run defense was nearly as bad.

Loser: LB Kana’i Mauga

The Raiders kept the score at 31-17 for a while after Jones’ pick-6, and after a drop by Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase on third-and-2, Las Vegas would again get the ball back with a chance to pull within one score. But linebacker Kana’i Mauga went offsides on the Bengals punt attempt, giving Cincinnati a first down.

Burrow found a wide-open receiver on a busted coverage soon afterward for a 38-17 Bengals lead.

Loser: WR DJ Turner

Well before Mauga’s miscue, wide receiver DJ Turner made his own huge mistake.

The Bengals had just scored on their opening drive of the second half for a 24-10 advantage. But when Las Vegas got the ball back, they opted for a WR sweep to Turner on 3rd-and-3. He never secured the football and the Bengals recovered Turner’s fumble.

Loser: OC Luke Getsy

To offer Turner some cover: the Raiders have depended on WR sweeps far too much this season because offensive coordinator Luke Getsy can’t get his run game going. Very little has gone right on that side of the ball and a change in play callers could arrive after the Raiders upcoming bye week.

Perhaps most puzzling was Getsy’s play selection late in the first half. Down just 17-10 with the ball, the Raiders had only seconds to play with but found themselves with a 3rd-and-4 opportunity near midfield. Getsy called for a screen pass, which was incomplete, ruining any changes the Raiders had for a field goal to close the half.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

Minshew was benched for the second time this season, this time in favor of the recently acquired Ridder.

The offense started hot under Minshew again, but after scoring on two of their first three drives of the game, Getsy’s questionable calls to end the first half and Turner’s fumble in the third quarter left Minshew with little opportunity to shine. In his one second-half drive that didn’t end with a Turner fumble, Las Vegas went 3-and-out.

Loser: QB Desmond Ridder

Ridder had a garbage time touchdown throw to tight end Brock Bowers, but he led two straight 3-and-out drives after entering the game.

After Jones’ pick-6, he led a promising drive, but the Raiders’ injuries on the offensive line caught up with them; Ridder missed a wide-open Meyers on a desperate 4th-and-12 play due to pressure allowed by Las Vegas.

Loser: OT Thayer Munford

Before Ridder’s desperate 4th-and-12 attempt, he had a manageable 3rd-and-4. But reserve offensive tackle Thayer Munford had an unsightly snap, allowing an easy QB sack.

Munford was beaten again by Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson on the Raiders’ next drive, resulting in a fumble from Ridder, which Cincinnati recovered. They’d notch a field goal for a 41-17 lead. Hendrickson had four total sacks and now leads the league in that category.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

Given that it’s Pierce’s first full year as Raiders head coach, one figures his job isn’t in danger. But if the Raiders continue to get blown out, that might change.

That’s a low bar, but Pierce isn’t clearing it. His dreadful quarterback situation isn’t helping, but Pierce went to Ridder too soon, making matters even worse.

The Raiders defense is supposed to be a strength but that failed Pierce on Sunday as well. The bottom line is that this team has to play much better after the bye week or the Raiders will have serious questions at head coach moving forward.

The Raiders will have two weeks to stew over this pathetic performance. Will that help them, or hurt them? That will depend on Pierce, both emotionally and regarding a potential change at play-caller on offense. Plus, he has to pick the right quarterback to run with.

In any event, embarrassing losses like this one must become a thing of the past for Pierce to regain positive vibes from last season that have completely vanished.

Raiders winners and losers in disappointing defeat vs. Bengals

Raiders winners and losers in disappointing defeat vs. Bengals

The Raiders faced the Bengals on Sunday in dire need of a win, but Las Vegas squandered an early opportunity to take control and let the game slip away, slowly but surely, eventually losing 32-13 at Allegiant Stadium.

Quarterback Derek Carr and the offense started their first drive of the game on the Bengals’ 9-yard line, thanks to a turnover from the Raiders defense, but they settled for a field goal, setting the tone for the lackluster performance.

Las Vegas has now lost three straight games and has a 5-5 record, putting its playoff chances in further jeopardy. But some players played well enough to provide optimism for the weeks ahead. Here are the Raiders winners and losers for the week after a disappointing loss.

Winners

Yannick Ngakoue

The day had an ideal start for the Raiders, thanks to defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. He sacked Bengals QB Joe Burrow and knocked the ball loose, allowing defensive back Dallin Leavitt to scoop the football up and run to Cincinnati’s 9-yard line.

But the Raiders offense opted for a run up the middle by reserve running back Peyton Barber for one yard, followed by a pass to tight end Darren Waller that lost two yards and an incomplete pass to running back Josh Jacobs. Kicker Daniel Carlson converted a 26-yard field goal, and the day had an ominous vibe from the start for Las Vegas.

Darren Waller

Much of the talk surrounding the Raiders in the lead-up to this game involved the inconsistent usage of Waller, who is universally considered one of the top tight ends in a tight-end crazed league. Las Vegas went to him on their first set of failed plays, but Waller eventually found success to the tune of seven receptions for 116 yards.

Waller combined with TE Foster Moreau to help lead a brief Raiders comeback in the second half, with a three-play drive consisting of two big catches by Waller and a Moreau touchdown.

The Bengals scored on the ensuing drive, however, aided by a Raiders penalty for 12 players on the field. Las Vegas penalties kept Bengals’ drives alive all game long, unfortunately, wiping away multiple chances for the Raiders to stay competitive.

Denzel Perryman

Linebacker Denzel Perryman has been a revelation this season, leading the Raiders in tackles and hitting opponents hard, too. He set the defensive tone early with some nice hits, helping the defense play a quality first portion of the game as the Las Vegas offense struggled.

He ended the afternoon with 12 tackles (nine solos) with two tackles for loss and two passes defensed. The Raiders’ offseason signing of LB K.J. Wright was much splashier than their acquisition of Perryman, but Perryman has taken his career to new heights in Las Vegas and brings it every Sunday, no matter the circumstance.

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