Tag: Raiders Winners and Losers

Busters for Raiders Week 7 loss to Rams

There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders’ latest ugly display. But I’m still going to try and really zero on in the worst of the worst.

There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders’ latest ugly display. But I’m still going to try and really zero on in the worst of the worst.

Busters

QB Gardner Minshew

His first drive looked decent, leading the Raiders to their first score. But it went downhill after that. His second possession they went three-and-out. His next drive ended with him rolling left on third down and forcing a pass to Brock Bowers that was easily intercepted. There was no reason to even attempt that pass. Just a terrible decision on Minshew’s part. And it led to the Rams’ first TD.

In fact, Minshew would turn the ball over four times in the games. The first three led to TD’s  – two interceptions and a fumble scoop and score – and the fourth one ended the game.

Every time he got even near the red zone, things would fall apart. First time, he got to the 25 and went 0-2, second time he got to the 24 and had a false start and went 0-2, third time he got to the 23 and went 0-2, fourth time he got the ball at the 14 off a turnover and went 0-1, And the fifth time he got to the 15 and went 0-2 – completing one pass that was stopped for no gain. Yeah, that’s right, five times from the 25-yard line or closer, he didn’t complete a single pass for positive yards. Going 1-10.

T DJ Glaze

The first drive of the game ended with Glaze giving up a pressure that led to a bad pass on third down and a punt. The next drive he was flagged for holding and the Raiders were unable to make the yards back up, but in the process of trying, Aidan O’Connell injured his thumb on a rushing defender and is now on injured reserve.

His final act was to jump early on fourth and goal from the four when the Raiders needed a touchdown to have a chance to tie it up. Suddenly the fourth and goal at the four became fourth and goal at the nine.

G Jordan Meredith, C Andre James

The second score for the Rams came on defense. When Meredith failed to block Cobie Durant and he shot through to hit Minshew for the strip sack. Kam Curl picked it up and returned it for the touchdown to give the Rams a 14-3 lead in the second quarter.

The first possession of the third quarter for the Raiders ended with a three-and-out and it was led out with James giving up a run stuff.

The Nate Hobbs interception gave the Raiders the ball at the LA 14-yard-line. On first down, Minshew threw for Brock Bowers for six yards, but James was flagged for ineligible man down field to bring it back.

On the final drive for the Raiders, Meredith missed his block to give up a run stuff on third down that forced the Raiders to go for it on fourth and one. Then on first and goal from the four, James gave up a pressure, forcing Minshew to throw the ball away.

T Kolton Miller

Late in the second quarter, the Raiders drove to the Rams’ 24-yard line looking to get their first touchdown. That ended in part because Miller gave up a hit on Minshew, leading to a bad throw, so they settled for a field goal to go into the locker room down 14-6.

The Raiders were in third and five from the LA nine-yard line to begin the fourth quarter. But Miller gave up a pressure and Minshew ditched it out of bounds to preserve at least a field goal. The next drive he gave up a run stuff for a loss.

DT John Jenkins

After the Rams’ first takeaway, the first play saw Jenkins driven back nine yards on a run play that put them in scoring range. He later was seen being pushed back on another nine-yard run and on the final Rams’ possession, while they looked to run clock, he was blocked back on a 14-yard run. Jenkins finished with zero tackles or any other stat in the game.

HC Antonio Pierce, OC Luke Getsy

With a reprieve on the missed field goal (and earlier extra point), the Raiders went on what was to be their long drive to try and salvage the game. A touchdown and two-point conversion ties it. They would get all the way to the four-yard-line. Along the way they converted a fourth down with a Mattison run, followed by a nine-yard Zamir White run, and then a 12-yard end around by Tre Tucker to put them in first and goal at the four. And would get no closer.

From there, Getsy inexplicably went away from the run completely, calling three pass plays despite Minshew having been 0-7 on passes inside the 28-yard line before that. Then on fourth down, DJ Glaze was flagged for a false start and Antonio Pierce lost his nerve, opting for a field goal instead. This despite a field goal keeping them a touchdown away and giving up major field position and clock time in the process. A terrible decision by Pierce that at best made their hopes of tying or winning the game exponentially more difficult and at worst sealed the Raiders fate.

See the Ballers

Raiders winners and losers in 20-15 defeat vs. Rams

The Raiders barely lost in LA but turnovers cost them dearly. Who stood out more than others, for better or worse?

Turnovers plagued the Raiders yet again on Sunday, and Las Vegas lost a close game to the Rams in Los Angeles, 20-15.

After quarterback Aidan O’Connell left the game with an injured right thumb, reserve QB Gardner Minshew took his place. Minshew led his team to a field goal on his first drive, but he committed the first of his four turnovers, an interception, a couple of drives later.

The Rams (2-4) gladly took the ball and scored a touchdown for a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. All of LA’s points came off Minshew giveaways, including a fumble the Rams returned for a touchdown late in the first half.

Here are the winners and losers for the week. The Raiders lost their third straight to drop to 2-5.

Winner: TE Brock Bowers

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers figured to play a starring role on offense after the Raiders traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Jets, and Bowers delivered.

He caught 10 of his 14 targets for 93 yards and had good moments as a blocker as well. His 25-yard catch and run led to a Las Vegas field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Bowers set the mark for most receptions by a tight end in NFL history through his first seven games and now has 47 total grabs. This season hasn’t gone as the Raiders planned, but they have a superstar on their hands in Bowers. He gives Raiders fans something to look forward to on Sundays, as watching their team turn the ball over like crazy is likely getting old for many.

Winner: CB Nate Hobbs

Cornerback Nate Hobbs had an impressive fourth-down tackle for loss early in the game that preserved the Raiders’ 3-0 lead. Hobbs also intercepted the Rams late in the third quarter and returned the ball 35 yards as Las Vegas was trying to claw its way back into the game.

The play set up a field goal by kicker Daniel Carlson, which put the score at 20-12 with nearly an entire quarter to play.

Winner: K Daniel Carlson

The Raiders could’ve won a really boring game, as Carlson gave them all the points they would need had they not turned the ball over. Instead, the Raiders lost a really boring game, and plenty of frustration was added to the mix for Raiders fans.

Carlson hit all five of his field goal tries and once again proved he’s one of the NFL’s best.

Winner: RB Alexander Mattison

The Raiders went to the run game a lot on early downs, and running back Alexander Mattison responded with a solid performance. He finished with 92 rushing yards on 23 carries, including some tough carries through defenders. He added three catches for 31 yards.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

This game started falling apart for the Raiders as soon as Minshew started handing out gifts to the Rams defense.

Minshew fumbled when the Raiders got the ball back after his first interception, and the Rams returned it for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead. Minshew took a break from turning the ball over until the third quarter when he threw behind WR DJ Turner on 3rd-and-6. It appeared Turner could’ve run for an easy first down had the pass been on target.

Instead, the Rams intercepted the ball and eventually scored another touchdown for an insurmountable 20-6 advantage. Minshew’s last interception was on the Raiders’ late desperation drive; they had the ball at their own 11-yard line, down 20-15 with 1:39 on the clock and no timeouts remaining.

O’Connell’s injury looks serious, so Minshew is the man for now. That appears to be bad news for Las Vegas unless the veteran QB makes a dramatic turnaround this season.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

Just when he got his starting job back last week, O’Connell’s thumb is reportedly broken. Plus, he had to watch this terrible performance like the rest of us. That’s an all-around losing day for the Raiders’ second-year signal caller.

Loser: CB Jack Jones

It ended up not costing the Raiders, but cornerback Jack Jones played poor coverage and had a laughable tackle attempt as the Raiders had just pulled within one score of the Rams. After the play, Los Angeles missed a field goal, keeping the score intact at 20-12.

Jones also looked silly when he got stiff-armed on a tackle attempt late in the game. It’s no secret that cornerbacks don’t love tackling, but Jones sometimes looks like he’s allergic to contact. Considering how this season is shaping up, he may lose playing time to younger prospects such as CB Decamerion Richardson, who saw some snaps in this game.

Loser: GM Tom Telesco

There’s a lot to like about the new Raiders’ general manager, Tom Telesco. His first three draft picks for the Raiders are quality starters (Bowers and offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze).

But the Raiders quarterback situation is awful. Sure, Telesco didn’t have a ton of options due to the quarterback-heavy NFL Draft and limited free agent options, not to mention the Raiders’ lack of quality quarterbacks on the roster when Telesco arrived.

But having Minshew and O’Connell as Las Vegas’ only two signal-callers approaches professional malpractice. The Raiders signed Minshew to be their starter, and the results are questionable to downright terrible. The hope is that Telesco can continue to build through the draft, but that is no comfort for Raiders fans in Week 7 of a long campaign.

Loser: DJ Glaze

Glaze went offsides as the Raiders had a 4th-and-goal opportunity at the 5-yard line with just minutes remaining in the game, facing a 20-12 deficit. In fairness, Glaze wasn’t the only lineman to go offsides, but it’s his name that was called out to the TV audience.

After the penalty, the Raiders decided to kick a field goal, which Carlson converted to make the score 20-15. After a defensive stop, the Raiders had the ball late with an opportunity for a winning drive, but that drive started at their own 11-yard line and they had no timeouts.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

Coach Antonio Pierce watched his team commit 10 penalties and turn the ball over four times. His team now owns a minus-13 turnover margin, which is the worst in the NFL and ties a franchise record for ineptitude.

Incredibly, his team still had a chance to win. In hindsight, Pierce should have gone for it on 4th-and-goal after Glaze’s false start rather than kicking a field goal. Even in real-time, it would have been a solid decision, as the team needed a touchdown regardless of whether Carlson had made the try or not.

The bad news keeps getting worse for Las Vegas, as the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs visit Allegiant Stadium next week. It’s a monumental task for the Raiders. But if they continue beating themselves with turnovers and penalties, every week is likely a loss for Las Vegas, regardless of the opponent.

Ballers for Raiders Week 6 loss vs Steelers

Those who deserve the credit for playing well and the blame for the collapse.

You will rarely see a game where a team couldn’t get out of their own way quite the way the Raiders did on Sunday against the Steelers. There were some good performances in the game, but they were overshadowed by all the mistakes. And often times those mistakes literally wiped away those plays.

As always (or usually) we hand out the credit to those who played well before we get to those who tore it all down.

Ballers

LB Divine Deablo

Divine was feeling it in his first game back off injury, making plays all over the field. It was a tackle for loss on a catch in the flat that was the key play to end the Steelers’ first drive and force them to settle for a field goal. Then in the second quarter, he blew up a trick play and Justin Fields with it for a 13-yard loss that took them out of Vegas territory and ultimately ended the drive.

It was still a 7-6 Raiders lead late in the second quarter. A turnover gave the Steelers the ball on the Vegas 30-yard-line. But two plays later, Deablo picked off a pass over the middle to get the Raiders the ball back. At least for an instant he did. A roughing the passer penalty wiped it away and the Steelers kept the ball. They would ultimately get the touchdown, but on the two-point conversion, there was Diablo to knock it down to keep the score at 12-7 at the half.

Diablo would finish with six tackles, two for a loss, a sack, a QB hit, and a pass breakup (which he wasn’t credited for because it was on a two-point conversion).

DE Maxx Crosby

Early in the second quarter, the Steelers mounted their second scoring drive. But Crosby didn’t make it easy. On the second play, Justin Fields saw Crosby screaming around the right edge off the snap and instantly tucked it and ran for 14 yards. Two plays later, Crosby drew a holding penalty which got eight of those yards back. The Steelers still managed to get a couple catches and a run to make it to the 31. Maxx stopped them there with two pressures leading to incompletions and they settled for a field goal.

The next drive, Crosby would draw another holding penalty. Two plays later he would get another pressure to force an incompletion. Three plays later they punted it away.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the score still 22-7, Crosby filled his gap, leading to a tackle for loss, and blew up another run in the backfield for a loss. They couldn’t get it back and punted. He finished with a half sack, three QB hits, and two tackles for loss and affected the game even more than the stats showed.

TE Brock Bowers

The Raiders drove for a touchdown on their opening drive and the offense went through Bowers to do it. He laid a key block on a seven-yard run. Two plays later he caught an eight-yard pass. Next play he blocked on a nine-yard run. And finally, on second and goal from the two, Bowers cleared the path for the touchdown run.

To lead out the third quarter, Bowers made ten-yard catch followed by a nice catch for 18 yards on a ball thrown behind him while he was running right to left. Unfortunately that catch was wiped away by a holding penalty on Andre James.

Even without that catch, Bowers led the team with nine catches for 71 yards.

Honorable Mention

RB Alexander Mattison — Had 19 touches (5 receptions) for 65 yards and a touchdown. And had a second touchdown called back by a very suspect illegal man down field penalty.

Continue to the Busters…

Ballers for Raiders in Week 5 loss to Broncos

Detailing the standout individual performances in Raiders loss to the Broncos.

Just five weeks in to this season and it seems each gam brings less hope than the last. Even the win in Week four over the Browns didn’t do much to raise hopes. Especially considering the next day, Davante Adams requested a trade.

With that drama as its backdrop, the Raiders headed to Denver to face a Broncos team coming off two straight wins, but with issues of their own, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

The first quarter it was dominance by the Raiders. They led out with a touchdown drive, then drove for a field goal, and drove all the way to first and goal at the five, looking to go up 17-3. Then it all fell apart and imploded on them in an instant.

We’ll get to that implosion in more detail in the Busters. For now, let’s get some Ballers out the way first.

Ballers

DE Maxx Crosby

Crosby loved playing the Broncos. He showed his love in this game with two sacks, two tackles for loss, and two QB hits. His first sack came on the Broncos’ second drive, taking them out of field goal range. They would get some yards back a couple plays later, hitting on a long field goal.

With the Broncos leading 13-10 to start the third quarter, Crosby ended their first possession with a three-and-out with his second sack of the day. He would nearly get his third on the following drive, but Nix would just barely lean over the line of scrimmage to get a yard.

TE Brock Bowers

The one big play in the game for the Raiders was Bowers leaping in the air and making a play on the ball before streaking for a 57-yard touchdown. It came on the third play of the game and it was Bowers’s first career touchdown.

A couple other times in the game Bowers broke open for what could have been touchdowns, but Gardner Minshew overthrew him on those passes. Aidan O’Connell’s interception late in the game went off Bowers’s hands, but that pass had way too much on it for point blank range, he hadn’t gotten his head turned before O’Connell released it, and it was just a tough catch out in front of him. A bit less on the ball or a split second later and Bowers makes that catch.

Even with those misses, Bowers finished with a team leading 97 yards and a TD on eight catches.

Honorable Mention

DT Christian Wilkins — He was injured for much of the second half, but before he left, he was doing some work. His five tackles was third on the team and included a tackle for loss and a sack.

Continue to the Busters…

Busters for Raiders Week 5 loss to Broncos

Which Raiders players shoulder the greatest share of the blame in the loss to the Broncos

A collapse like this has many searching for answers. Hopefully the Busters list can provide some. At least in terms of how I saw it go down.

Busters

QB Gardner Minshew

As my mom used to say, “one ‘Oh, sh*t!’ can ruin a hundred ‘Attaboys’.”

Minshew started this game with a few attaboys. But none of it mattered when the ‘Oh, sh*t’ happened.

He had the Raiders offense rolling. Looking for a score on three straight drives to begin the game. A nine-yard completion to Brock Bowers and the Raiders were in first and goal at the nine-yard-line. Minshew rolled left and had Bowers wide open at the goal line. For whatever reason, he overshot him and Patrick Surtain intercepted it and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown the other way. Complete momentum stealer.

Instead of 17-3 it was tied 10-10. The Raiders offense seemed to close up shop after that. On three possessions the remainder of the second quarter, Minshew had one completion for one yard. And he even overthrew Bowers again.

The third quarter saw Minshew pinball around the pocket twice for sacks and then throw behind Tre Tucker for another interception. That was his last play of the game as he was pulled for Aidan O’Connell.

HC Antonio Pierce

Speaking of pulling Minshew… Pierce is far too reactionary. Sure, you want to protect the ball, but there just isn’t enough of a leash for Minshew to allow him to make mistakes or be aggressive. Twice in five games he’s been yanked and Pierce wouldn’t commit to him as the starter after the game.

This game was still in reach when Minshew was pulled. It was just 20-10. Minshew came back against the Ravens in Week two. Seemingly in part because Maxx Crosby came out and showed him a little faith and gave him a pep talk. Meanwhile, even when the problem has clearly been the scheme and the running attack, Pierce always seems to go back to placing the blame on not taking care of the ball.

Pierce talks about not riding the wave of emotion after games, but no one is more emotional during and after these games than him. He’s too high after wins and too low after losses, talking about ‘business decisions’ and benching players and having his star receiver requesting a trade.

As far as game management, he continues to make the wrong decisions on fourth downs. In this game, the offense ran it on third and five from the Denver 45 — which you only really do if your plan is to go for it — got three yards on it, setting up fourth and short and then oddly punted it away. That’s simply the wrong decision however you look at it. And he makes a poor fourth down decision seemingly every week.

Oh, and TWICE the Raiders defense was flagged for 12 men on the field. Just inexcusable.

LB Tommy Eichenberg

The rookie was making his first start. And it kinda looked like it. He had just one assist in the game. And should have had a lot more than that. His one assist came on an eight yard run on fourth and one. So, even that tackle wasn’t notable.

The score was still just 13-10 in the third quarter. Eichenberg gave up a 13-yard run on the second play. But thanks to a Denver holding penalty and a Crosby sack, they got out of it. They weren’t so fortunate on the next drive.

It started with Eichenberg getting blocked so hard on the punt return, he took out another coverage guy, allowing a huge return that may have been a touchdown had John Samuel Shenker not made the shoestring tackle to stop it at midfield. It didn’t end up mattering much though, because a few plays in, Eichenberg missed the tackle on a nine-yard run and later gave up the touchdown on a catch out right from four yards out.

The next touchdown drive began with Eichenberg missing another tackle in an 11-yard scramble. Later he gave up a 19-yard catch that put the Broncos in first and goal. He was flagged for holding on the Broncos’ final touchdown, which means had they not scored on the play, they would have been in first and goal at the four-yard-line anyway.

CB Jack Jones

Jones’s day got off to a good start. He made the pass breakup on third down to force a punt on the Broncos’ first drive. Not much went right for him after that.

He was flagged for illegal contact on the Broncos’ first scoring drive. On their next scoring drive, he gave up a 19-yard catch on third and seven that put them in field goal range in the final seconds. He had a missed tackle on a 27-yard catch and run on their third scoring drive  And he gave up the final touchdown from nine yards out.

G Jackson Powers-Johnson

Far too often during a play, JPJ ends up flat on his face. It’s odd, really. He gets up slowly as if he was either injured on the play or is fighting through an injury. But that’s not it. I just think he gets dejected when he can’t hold his block or is tossed to the ground.

The second play of the game, he was beaten to give up a tackle for loss on a run. The second play of the next drive, he was put on his face to allow a run stuff for no gain. Then on the second play following the game-tying pick six, he gave up another run stuff at the line, helping lead to a three-and-out.

A couple possessions later, he was flagged for a false start, helping lead to another three-and-out.

Gotta figure out these NFL DT’s, young fella. And maybe, pop back up after being beaten and get back at it because, if nothing else, staying on the ground like that after the play isn’t a good look.

WR Jakobi Meyers

Nothing was working for the Raiders offense after that pick six. But Meyers might have helped spark things. Instead he had a one-yard catch, a drop on third down, and then an offensive pass interference leading to two three-and-outs.

His stats were a bit misleading considering half his catches (3) and most of his yards (43) came after the game was out of reach.

DE Tyree Wilson

Last week, Wilson got the seemingly random PFF pat on the back; apparently for having a couple QB hits, even though he didn’t really impact the game in any meaningful way. This week, despite 34 snaps — which was second only to Maxx Crosby among DE’s — he was completely invisible. His stat line consisted of one assist.

See the Ballers

Ballers for Raiders Week 4 win over Browns

Sifting out the notable performances for the Raiders in their win over the Browns.

For the third week in a row, the Raiders went against the grain and shocked the world. Week two it was an improbably win in Baltimore. Week three they were trounced by the winless Panthers. And this week, despite a slew of injuries including to their two best players, they beat the Browns.

They did so by spreading out the Browns’ defense while the Raiders defense completely shut down the Browns offense after the first quarter.

We start with those who were most responsible for that big win.

Ballers

DE Charles Snowden

A month ago, Snowden was cut. Now he’s playing hero for a Raiders team desperate to replace both of the guys they were going to count on to be their starting pass rushers. His biggest play was the last one when he chased down Deshaun Watson on fourth and three to sack him and end the game.

How he even got there is the most impressive part. Snowden came around the right side on a stunt and Watson rolled left, running all the way to the left sideline and Snowden still caught him.

That wasn’t his only big play tho. Two plays before that, he got pressure and batted down a Watson pass. In total, he tied for the team lead with three QB hits and a tackle for loss.

S Isaiah Pola-Mao

That game-ending sack never would have happened if not for Pola-Mao. He made the tackle on the previous play, stopping it short of the sticks to force fourth down. Pola-Mao also made the big play on the Browns’ previous drive, flying over from center field to knock the ball out of the hands of Jerry Jeudy on what was actually a long catch for an instant. He also made the drive stalling tackle on the Browns’ second drive to hold them to a field goal.

WR Tre Tucker

Tucker had a hand in both of the Raiders touchdowns in this game. The first touchdown drive, he made a 14-yard catch on third and seven to keep the drive alive. Then finished it off with an end around from three yards out for the touchdown.

The second touchdown, he laid the final block near the goal line, driving his man out of bounds to ensure DJ Turner could get the final few yards to get in the end zone.

DT Adam Butler

With the leadership void due to the absence of Maxx Crosby, Butler stepped up. He gave a speech to the team inspired by his military upbringing. Then brought that passion to the field. The first third down of the game, he came flying into the backfield on a pass to absolutely bury Deshaun Watson. He was flagged for a horrible roughing the passer penalty, but so what. It wasn’t roughing and the message needed sent.

The next drive ended with a field goal in part because Butler got into the backfield again to make a run stuff for a loss and they couldn’t pick it back up.

The final play of the third quarter for the Raiders’ defense was a sack. Christian Wilkins and Janarius Robinson split credit for it, but Butler was in on it as well, coming right up the gut to ensure the sack sandwich from each side.

The final two Browns’ possessions at the end of the game, Butler had three tackles and a QB hit in which he had Watson wrapped up and off the ground right as the ball was released. The next play, the game was over.

Butler finished tied for second on the team in tackles (six) along with a QB hit (two really) and a tackle for loss.

RB Alexander Mattison

The running game came to life in this game. In part because of the use of jet sweeps and reverses to spread out the defense. But the only back on this team who was consistently making good use of it was Mattison.

He had three huge runs in this game on just five carries. All three of those runs was longer than any run the Raiders had had in the three game to start this season.

The first big run went for 24 yards — double the previous longest run coming in — and it set up the Raiders game-tying field goal before the half. His second big run went for 16 yards to the 19 and the Raiders scored the touchdown around the outside on the next play. His final big run went for 18 yards late in the fourth quarter to help take time off the clock and win the field position battle.

Mattison finished with 60 yards on five carries (12 yards per carry) and Antonio Pierce has said since then that he has earned more carries as a result.

LB Robert Spillane

Once again, Spillane led the team in tackles, putting up double digits for the fourth straight game this season. The first three of those tackles came on the Browns’ opening drive and all for three yards or less.

He made two stops on each of the Browns possessions in the second quarter, including a tackle for loss and a three-and-out.

S Tre’von Moehrig

He had the Raiders only takeaway, hauling in an interception off of Amari Cooper’s chest. It set up the Raiders final touchdown drive. Also on the final Browns drive, Jerome Ford burst for a 35-yard run that might have been a touchdown if not to Moehrig making the tackle at the 16-yard-line.

DT Christian Wilkins

Wilkins tied for the team lead with three QB hits. He also shared a sack and forced a holding penalty that called back a long touchdown that would have put the Browns ahead in the fourth quarter.

Honorable Mention

WR Jakobi Meyers — led the team with 49 yards on five catches and forced a pass interference.

WR DJ Turner — scored a touchdown on a reverse from 19 yards out and would have had a long catch as well, but the pass was overthrown.

TE Brock Bowers — Had a 12-yard run and made a huge block on two defenders that sprung Turner for his 19-yard touchdown.

TE Harrison Bryant — Had several nice blocks including on the 12-yard Bowers run and a 10-yard run that put the Raiders in first and goal on their first TD drive.

P AJ Cole — Two huge punts in the fourth quarter helped to keep the Browns from scoring and hold the Raiders’ 20-16 lead.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 20-16 victory vs. Browns

The Raiders won a close game without Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby. Which players stepped up the most?

The Raiders scored 20 straight points after the Browns (1-3) took an early 10-0 lead, holding on for a 20-16 win on Sunday in Las Vegas. The game wasn’t decided until the Raiders defense sacked Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson on a last second 4th-and-3 play.

Las Vegas was without its top two players, defensive end Maxx Crosby and wide receiver Davante Adams, who were both out with injuries. A reimagined rushing attack for led the way for the Raiders offense, and reserves on every level of the defense held their own and finished the job.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after the Raiders improved to 2-2 on the season.

Winner: DE Charles Snowden

Defensive end Charles Snowden made his largest impact as a Raider on Sunday, helping fill the void left by Crosby. His sack of Watson sealed the Raiders come-from-behind victory.

Snowden also had a big pass breakup at the line of scrimmage earlier in the same drive. He finished with three total tackles, a tackle for loss, and three QB hits to go with his big PBU and QB sack. An honorable mention for the winner list goes to DE K’Lavon Chaisson, who teamed with Snowden on the game’s deciding play.

Winner: S Isaiah Pola-Mao

The Raiders lost safety Marcus Epps for the season last week, and new starter Isaiah Pola-Mao had a fantastic debut with the first-team defense. He looked sharp as a tackler in the open field, had a QB sack, and recorded an impressive pass breakup on a big 3rd-and-4 play in the fourth quarter.

Pola-Mao’s performance is fantastic news for Las Vegas. Epps was a huge part of the defenses’ success last season and had played will thus far in 2024. On this Sunday, Pola-Mao was a legit impact player.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

The Raiders finished with 152 rushing yards on Sunday, a far cry from the 55 yards gained on the ground last week. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had to get creative to unlock his rushing attack, as six different players had at least one rushing attempt. That includes WR Tre Tucker, who scored the Raiders first touchdown on a reverse on 3rd-and-goal.

Tucker starred throughout the Raiders first scoring drive of the day and finished with five receptions for 41 yards. He helped unlock an offense that did basically nothing in the first quarter.

Winner: WR DJ Turner

The Raiders had two rushing touchdowns, and they both went to wide receivers. Wideout DJ Turner notched a scoring run of his own to give the Raiders a 20-10 lead. Turner was aided by fantastic blocks from Tucker and tight end Brock Bowers. It was his first career touchdown.

Getsy gets an honorable mention for the winner list for his creativity this week. The fact that two wide receivers notched rushing touchdowns — and the Raiders had a season high in rushing yards — says it all.

Winner: S Tre’von Moehrig

Turner’s touchdown came after a Browns turnover, an interception by safety Tre’von Moehrig. When a pass bounced off the chest of Browns WR Amari Cooper, Moehrig alertly grabbed the ball from the air and had a solid return to set the Raiders up near midfield.

Winner: RB Alexander Mattison

A lot had to go right for the Raiders before Turner’s big score. Running back Alexander Mattison converted a huge 3rd-and-9 play with a tough run to make it happen. Mattison had 60 yards rushing on just five carries, including a 24-yard attempt, the Raiders’ longest running play of the season.

Winner: OG Jackson Powers-Johnson and OT DJ Glaze

The Raiders rushing outburst is even sweeter considering that two rookie offensive lineman were in the starting lineup. Guard Jackson Powers-Johnson started after playing last week for the first time, and tackle DJ Glaze played in place of injured starter Thayer Munford.

Loser: RB Zamir White

It’s been a rough season for Raiders RB Zamir White. Even as the Raiders had their best rushing performance of the season, White helped the other team as much as he helped his own. His fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter was returned for a touchdown by the Browns.

The Browns missed the extra point to provide the final score of 20-16. White had 17 carries for just 50 yards, though he did break out with a nice 17-yard run. But overall, White may have lost his starting job after this game, considering Mattison’s performance.

Loser: CB Jack Jones

Cornerback Jack Jones was on the bench to start this game, seemingly a result of a business decision by coach Antonio Pierce. Jones re-entered the game, however, and finished with four tackles. Still, it was an unexpected development for Jones, who has arguably been the Raiders best defensive back since arriving in Las Vegas.

Loser: OT Kolton Miller

The Raiders only allowed two QB sacks, but their best player up front, OT Kolton Miller, continues to struggle against top-flight EDGE players. He allowed both sacks to Browns star rusher Myles Garrett.

After news broke about the absence of Adams and Crosby, the Raiders went from betting favorites to underdogs, and for good reason. They are legit superstars, and it was literally unthinkable that both could be out in the same game. It was the first missed game of Crosby’s career and Adams first game missed as a Raider.

But Pierce had his team ready to win, unlike their embarrassing performance a week ago against the Panthers. Both coordinators — Getsy and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham — deserve a ton of credit as well in this team effort. Next up for Las Vegas, a big game against the Broncos in Denver, as each team will try to improve to 3-2.

Ballers for Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Singling out the performances in Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

There wasn’t much to sing about if you’re the Raiders in their loss to the Panthers. The 36-22 final score didn’t tell the story at all. The real score was 33-7 which sealed it early in the fourth quarter.

A lopsided score like that suggests a complete collapse on both sides of the ball. They couldn’t run the ball, they couldn’t stop the run. They couldn’t pass the ball, they couldn’t stop the pass.

Andy Dalton was picking them apart through the air and Chuba Hubbard (who?) ran all over them on the ground. Gardner Minshew completed one deep pass and the Raiders still have the worst rushing attack in the NFL dating back like 25 years at least.

Anyway, let’s see about them Ballers, eh?

Baller

WR Tre Tucker

That one deep completion went to Tucker. He got behind the defense and made the long catch 54 yards downfield. It set up the Raiders only touchdown that actually mattered. It tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

When the game essentially was over, he had three catches for 64 yards. But he didn’t just pack it in, he added four more catches to finish with 98 yards and a touchdown.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 36-22 defeat vs. Panthers

The Raiders looked helpless against the Panthers in their home opener in Las Vegas. Who is most to blame?

The Raiders failed in spectacular fashion in their home opener against the Panthers on Sunday, losing by a lopsided 36-22 final tally.

Nothing went right for the home team, as the offense was toothless except for a 97-yard drive in the first half and the defense allowed one big play after another.

The Panthers (1-2) looked like a different team with new starting quarterback Andy Dalton. He sliced and diced the Raiders defense on his way to 319 passing yards and three touchdowns. On offense, the Raiders couldn’t get the ball to wide receiver Davante Adams or tight end Brock Bowers after they starred last week in Baltimore.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after this setback defeat for Las Vegas (1-2).

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

Before this game turned into a blowout, the Raiders offense evened the score at 7-7 with a 97 yard touchdown march. The key play was a 54-yard strike from quarterback Gardner Minshew to WR Tre Tucker.

The drive ended with a touchdown run by running back Alexander Mattison. The Panthers scored the game’s next 26 points to put the game away; the Raiders didn’t score again until a garbage time touchdown catch by WR Jakobi Meyers made the score 33-15. Tucker added a late touchdown catch of his own on a throw from QB Aidan O’Connell.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

After the Panthers announced their plan to start Dalton over for former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, it was clear the Raiders coaching staff had to adjust their practice-week preparation. On Sunday, it appeared the Raiders didn’t know what him them from the start, and that falls mostly on coach Antonio Pierce.

Plus, Pierce’s decisions on a couple short-yardage situations were highly questionable. Trailing 14-7, the Raiders ran on a 3rd-and-7 play to set up a 4th-and-3, only to miss on a short pass attempt to Bowers. That drive stalled after starting at the Raiders 40-yard line.

Later in the game, Las Vegas went for a 4th-and-1 play on its own 37-yard line. A QB sneak from Minshew went nowhere, and the Panthers scored a field goal for a 27-7 lead. The Raiders went three-and-out on their next possession, one of many such drives on the afternoon.

Loser: OC Luke Getsy

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy seemed determined to get the Raiders run game going, and the strategy missed the mark. Las Vegas totaled just 55 yards on the ground, and by the second half, the home crowed often booed after a run play.

The poor run game ruined whatever game plan Getsy had prepared, as Minshew never got into a rhythm with is receivers.

Loser: Raiders defense/DC Patrick Graham

The Raiders defense allowed 256 yards of offense in the first half and 437 yards overall. The Panthers ran over, through, and around Patrick Graham’s defense, as they had a 100-yard rusher in RB Chuba Hubbard and a 100-yard receiver in WR Diontae Johnson.

The Raiders pass rush was especially missing in action. Defensive end Maxx Crosby made little impact, and the Raiders depth at defensive end looks troubling on Crosby’s opposite edge. The lack of pressure played a factor in at least five pass plays of more than 20 yards for Carolina.

Loser: WR Davante Adams and TE Brock Bowers

A week ago, it appeared the Raiders had found their answer on offense: get the ball to Adams and Bowers. This week, the two combined for seven catches and 81 yards receiving.

Making matters worse, Adams had the ball knocked from his hands multiple times, including a 3rd-and-2 play as the Raiders trailed 14-7 in the second quarter.

Loser: DB Nate Hobbs

Defensive back Nate Hobbs was in the middle of a lot of action on Sunday, and most of it went against the home team. In particular, Hobbs allowed his opponent to cut across his face inside on a key 3rd-and-8 play late in the first half, leading to a 35-yard catch and run by Johnson, who made Hobbs look silly on his tackle attempt.

 

This drive ended with a touchdown catch by WR Adam Thielen to give the Panthers a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Hobbs had a pass breakup and a tackle for loss later in the game, but like the Raiders late touchdowns, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Loser: LBs Luke Masterson and Tommy Eichenberg

With starting LB Divine Deablo out with injury, reserves Luke Masterson and Tommy Eichenberg were called on to step up. They only made an impact for the opposing team, as the Panthers ran up the middle with abandon and kept the Raiders reserve linebackers off balance all afternoon.

Loser: DE Tyree Wilson

After the season-ending injury to DE Malcolm Koonce, the Raiders are desperate for answers at defensive end opposite Crosby. Las Vegas just happens to have selected a defensive end with a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft a couple of years ago in Tyree Wilson, who returned from his own injury to play against the Panthers.

It didn’t matter, as Wilson made little to no impact. Will he ever turn the corner and help the Raiders win? At this point, it seems unlikely.

Loser: Offensive line/run game

If Getsy wasn’t convinced he should stop trying to run the ball first and pass second, he should be ready to switch his game plan by now. The Raiders offensive line appeared to struggle run blocking and RB Zamir White was again a non-factor, finishing with 34 yards on 10 carries.

Raiders fans have seen a lot of poor performances over the last few decades, and this pathetic showing ranks among the worst of them. This was a prime opportunity for Pierce’s new regime to turn a corner; last week, the Raiders won a game everyone expected them to lose, but good teams win games they are expected to win. They fell flat trying to do just that against the Panthers.

The Raiders get another chance for a home win next week against the Browns, and Pierce’s bunch would probably do well to forget about what outcome people expect in that matchup. Rather, they need to tune out the noise and create the outcome they want.

Busters for Raiders Week 2 win vs Ravens

Those whose play required heroics to overcome.

There wouldn’t have been a need for heroics had the Raiders not put themselves in a hole in this game. And it was pretty obvious at times what the problem was.

Busters

LT Kolton Miller, LG Andrus Peat, RT Thayer Munford

Let’s be clear, no one on this offensive line was good. The run game was historically bad and that falls on everyone. But these three were SO bad, they get special mention.

Last week Kolton Miller had what seemed to me to be the worst game of his career. Well, that wasn’t a fluke. He had another brutal game in this one.

Miller gave up a sack on the very first play of the game. And it was a strip sack which he luckily fell on or the Raiders would have been looking at going down a score seconds into this one.

Getting the start next to him was Andrus Peat, taking the place of Cody Whitehair. Three plays in, he was shucked out of the way to give up a run stuff for a two-yard loss. The Raiders moved backward on two of their first three plays and punted it away.

Second drive, Miller didn’t block the end to give up a free sack on third down.

The second quarter, the Raiders finally got a first down. They even drove into scoring range. But it ended with Peat missing his block to give up a tackle for loss, leading to a 53-yard field goal.

They got into scoring range again later in the second quarter. But Munford was beat around the edge and since Peat was also beaten up the middle, Minshew had nowhere to go and was sacked, leading to a 51-yard field goal.

Peat was sent back to the bench for the second and Cody Whitehair took over.

Munford had a disastrous possession in the third quarter. Starting out by blocking no one to give up a run stuff. Then two plays later losing his block to give up another run stuff for no gain, following immediately be giving up a tackle for loss. They convert on third and long and ended up turning it over on downs.

The offense may have come up late in this one, but the run game never did. And Minshew still had to overcome poor pass blocking as well. Miller gave up another sack, as did Munford.

S Tre’von Moehrig, S Marcus Epps

Weird to think all the starting cornerbacks are Ballers and both starting safeties are Busters. Not sure I’ve seen that happen before.

The biggest play of the Ravens first drive of the game was a 19-yard catch given up by Epps on third and seven. And they got on the board with a field goal.

The next Ravens scoring drive started with Moehrig giving up a 17-yard catch. And the final scoring drive of the first half saw Moehrig give up an eight-yard catch that put them in scoring range at the 34.

They would go for a touchdown to open the third quarter and the big play was a 30-yard run by Derrick Henry on which Epps missed the tackle near the line. Two plays later, Moehrig gave up the touchdown catch from eight yards out.

To begin the fourth quarter, the Ravens would drive for another TD. They would drive into Vegas territory at the 48 and Epps would miss a tackle to give up a 15-yard run. Two plays later came the biggest play of the drive with Epps getting blocked to give up a 17-yard run and Moehrig tacking on a few more with a late hit out of bounds call. This put the Ravens in first and goal at the six-yard-line. They scored two plays later.

DE Charles Snowden

That first touchdown drive to start the third quarter saw Derrick Henry break off a 30-yard run. He got the edge to begin with because Snowden was blocked. Then Snowden tried to recover and chase Henry down only to embarrassed by a wicked stiff arm.

Their second touchdown drive, that 17-yard run mentioned a couple paragraphs back began with Snowden missing a tackle. He showed some pass rushing prowess in the preseason, but his tackling leaves much to be desired.

Also see the Ballers