Well, that was an ugly performance by the Las Vegas Raiders. The hype from the previous week disappeared as the Raiders got blown out by the Atlanta Falcons 43-6. It was a terrible performance all around, and this Raiders team has some soul searching to do.
The offense had its worst performance of the season, committing five turnovers. They looked flat from the opening snap and went three for 12 on third down, usually one of the best in football. They gave up five sacks and could not run the football at all. They finished with a terrible 4.18 yards per play against one of the league’s worst passing defenses.
The defense played reasonably well but added way too many penalties. The Raiders finished with 111 penalty yards on the day, and there were killers by the defense. They had few roughing the passer penalties plus a special team penalty that kept the drive alive, leading to a score. This game wasn’t on the defense, but they certainly didn’t help.
Who were the winners and losers from this week? Let’s take a look.
Winner: WR Hunter Renfrow
One player who showed up today for the offense, and it’s someone whose targets have fell while the season has gone on. Hunter Renfrow was the only bright spot on offense with one of his best performances of the season.
Renfrow finished with seven receptions for 73 yards on his 9 targets. He did an excellent job making players miss in the open field and displayed while he is a reliable player for the Raiders. While he did have a drop later on in the game, he overall put together a good day.
Renfrow deserves targets in this offense because of his ability to create yards after the catch. Gruden has to add a few more plays for the Raiders to look his way and get him the football. Hopefully, we see more of Renfrow going forward.
Winner: LB Nicholas Morrow
A player who continues to make the most of his opportunities of playing time has been Nicholas Morrow. He has put together a string of games to wonder if he can earn a starting spot on this team. Sunday was no different.
Morrow finished the game leading the Raiders with ten tackles and was all over the field. He had a big stop on third down, creating a tackle for loss late in the second quarter. Also, he finished with two pass deflections on the day, displaying his ability to help play against the pass and guard tight ends.
Morrow’s development is a great sight to see, and he, for sure, has the best year of his career. He for sure is making his mark on this team this season, and everyone should shine a light on his latest performances.
[lawrence-newsletter]