Las Vegas had the bounce back they needed on the road in Cleveland. Raiders overcame their cold-weather struggles and came out with a victory of 16-6 over the Cleveland Browns, silencing the dog pound.
The Raiders defense had its best performance of the year, even if the weather helped it. The Raiders were able to hold the Browns to 4.7 yards per play, which is their lowest of the year. While they didn’t come away with any sacks, they could force Mayfield to be uncomfortable in the pocket. The defense gets all praise this week after a terrible performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The offense struggled because of the weather and not being able to move the ball consistently. However, they finished with over 208 yards rushing and averaged over 4.6 yards per rush. This was a game fans love to see the Raiders win because they didn’t have to rely on the passing game to pull this one against a conference opponent.
Who is the winner and losers of Week 8? Let’s take a look.
Winner: QB Derek Carr
In cold weather, Derek Carr has been a topic all week with his naysayers expecting him to have a tough matchup. While he didn’t quiet the haters through the air, he didn’t make any crucial mistakes and allowed the Raiders to pull out a win.
Carr’s passing numbers are his worse of the season. He finished 15-24 with 112 yards and a touchdown on the day and missed a couple of throws due to the wind. The biggest part of Carr’s game we continue to see elevate is his running ability. He had his most rushing yards since 2017 with 43 yards rushing with a massive run late in the fourth when the Raiders were attempting to seal the game.
Carr has won in Arrowhead and is slowly conquering his cold-weather demons. The Raiders franchise leader in touchdowns said during the offseason; he was tired of the disrespect. Throughout the duration of the season, it seems to have been backing up every single word.
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