Sometimes even when you play well, it’s just not your day.
That could apply to many on the Raiders roster after their close loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterback Gardner Minshew tops the list.
Minshew earned the highest grade on the team from PFF, topping out with a 77.3 score. Unfortunately, his fumble in the fourth quarter ruined the Raiders’ last realistic chance for a victory. Minshew’s grade was bolstered by a touchdown drive later in the game after Kansas City had essentially secured the win.
Minshew’s top two targets, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers, are next on PFF’s weekly list.
The highest-graded Raiders in Week 8 vs the Chiefs:
🥇 Gardner Minshew – 77.3
🥈 Jakobi Meyers – 75.3
🥉 Brock Bowers – 73.7
🏅 Tyree Wilson – 73.6
🏅 K'Lavon Chaisson – 70.3 pic.twitter.com/VxUz0YfYlN— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) October 28, 2024
Two defensive ends, Tyree Wilson and K’Lavon Chaisson round out this week’s top five. Wilson had the Raiders’ only QB sack of the game and added a tackle for loss and a QB hit. Chaisson had four total tackles and a QB hit of his own, one of just three for Las Vegas.
Despite Minshew’s high score, it will be interesting to see whether coach Antonio Pierce decides to give recently acquired quarterback Desmond Ridder a shot at starting at some point this season. Despite his solid play at times, Minshew’s turnovers continue to hold his team back.
Also, it’s disappointing that DE Maxx Crosby is not on this list. He had just three tackles and didn’t touch Mahomes all game. No running backs or offensive linemen appear either, reflecting Las Vegas’ historically poor rushing attack.
The Raiders face the Bengals on Sunday before their bye week arrives in Week 10. The franchise may have to decide whether to try its hardest to win games or embrace this team’s shortcomings to secure a high draft pick so it can draft a talented quarterback it can build around.