☹ Official 2020 Las Vegas Raiders thread ☹ (1 Viewer)

[DocHolliday]

That Ingold TD was a beautifully designed play. 

It was.   The TD to Waller was a good play as well.  Gruden is on his game.  

 

[Garrett]

at Panthers - WIN

Saints - WIN

at Patriots - LOSS

Bills - WIN

at Chiefs - LOSS

Buccaneers - WIN

at Browns - LOSS

at Chargers - WIN

Broncos - WIN

Chiefs - LOSS

at Falcons - LOSS

at Jets - WIN

Colts - WIN

Chargers - LOSS

Dolphins - WIN

at Broncos - WIN

10-6

So far so good.  Belichick will not let Waller beat them, and that worries me as it is going to put a ton of pressure on Ruggs and Edwards to make some plays against guys like Gilmore.  As good as the offense has looked in terms of creative playing calling and execution, the Patriots are great at forcing offenses to do what they prefer not to do.  Carr is going to need some great protection and deep ball accuracy with the rookie WRs continuing to shine.

I'm really hoping for some good news about Jonathan Abram.  That was a really scary moment with him just laid out on the ground.  I heard today his X-rays were negative so I guess that is great news, but I believe that same shoulder from last year is getting a MRI today so hopefully they are just being cautious.

Overall, a huge win; I can't think of better way to show off a new stadium on MNF.  I loved the decision at the end to kick the FG and just win the game.

 

[DocHolliday]

So far so good.  Belichick will not let Waller beat them, and that worries me as it is going to put a ton of pressure on Ruggs and Edwards to make some plays against guys like Gilmore.  As good as the offense has looked in terms of creative playing calling and execution, the Patriots are great at forcing offenses to do what they prefer not to do.  Carr is going to need some great protection and deep ball accuracy with the rookie WRs continuing to shine.

Ruggs and Edwards will not be expected to do more than they are capable.   Look for the continued focus on the run game and Renfrow to be more involved.  He proved last year that he can be effective when targeted.   

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

I understand Crosby is being disruptive, but one sack in two games is unacceptable and will start to haunt them if they don't start getting more pressure up front. 

Abram is looking like he'll become an All-Pro safety while Harris really looks like he's struggling out there. Arnette is NOT afraid to make a tackle and Mullen held down his side of the field. He very quietly had a solid game, the Saints WRs were held in check last night, due in large part to his play. Other than Harris, the back end of the defense is coming along nicely, which I thought was the biggest weakness on the whole team.

Can DC get Ruggs the ball when this happens? That's a great question because even on a bad wheel Ruggs was getting behind the D and Carr couldn't hit him 2 weeks in a row now. Once those two get on the same page this offense will be scary. Online,  props to Simpson and Good, those guys held their own.

solid post overall. I think Crosby has one if not two sacks in that game if he wasn't constantly held. Guy continues to be a force.

Abrams plays with utter abandon that's fun to watch but just like you know Burfict is going to put himself out for the year doing something stupid, I worry that it's only a matter of time until Abram reinjures himself. In the meantime he's incredibly fun to watch. Really earning that number and seems like such a great kid.

Spot on about Ruggs. He needs to refine still but this is more on Carr with bad timing. When that clicks, we will see some fireworks- kust glad they are not afraid to take those shots.

Maybe this team is of a different character than the ones of the past.

If the Raiders are going to win this week guys not named Waller and Jacobs are going to have to make plays. 

Maybe Gruden and Mayock have it right in that character really does matter. 

Agree with you et al that we will need another perfect gameplan. We need  huge game from our D front to clog running lanes and contain/pressure Cam constantly.

He's a solid QB but if we can jam up in his face and frustrate him, I feel we can force mistakes and turnovers. Not sure we're that D yet.

Hope we heal up in both lines - though I am so impressed with our backups on O line. The did not miss a beat which is saying a lot. At end of day having Brown and Incognito matter if they perform to their ability. 

 

[KChusker]

So far so good.  Belichick will not let Waller beat them, and that worries me as it is going to put a ton of pressure on Ruggs and Edwards to make some plays against guys like Gilmore.  As good as the offense has looked in terms of creative playing calling and execution, the Patriots are great at forcing offenses to do what they prefer not to do.  Carr is going to need some great protection and deep ball accuracy with the rookie WRs continuing to shine.

I'm really hoping for some good news about Jonathan Abram.  That was a really scary moment with him just laid out on the ground.  I heard today his X-rays were negative so I guess that is great news, but I believe that same shoulder from last year is getting a MRI today so hopefully they are just being cautious.

Overall, a huge win; I can't think of better way to show off a new stadium on MNF.  I loved the decision at the end to kick the FG and just win the game.

You'll beat the Falcons as long as Dan Quinn is coaching them and Chargers (I think you swept them last year) imo but lose to the Bills and maybe the Bucs. Allen in particular is an awful matchup for Guenther's D from what I have seen. Bucs I could see being a Saints redux but I have a hard time thinking that they don't hit their stride at some point

Broncos sweep would have been tough imo but with their team dead that should happen

I'd give you better than a fighting chance next week and against us on SNF in Las Vegas--but loss seems like the more probably result

Overall 10-6

 

[Chadstroma]

It was.   The TD to Waller was a good play as well.  Gruden is on his game.  

That Waller TD PA sucked the entire NO D in. Another beautiful execution. 

I remember some anti-Carr guy saying Carr sucked at PA. It looked to me like he surely did not suck. 

 

[SDJohnny]

You'll beat the Falcons as long as Dan Quinn is coaching them and Chargers (I think you swept them last year) imo but lose to the Bills and maybe the Bucs. Allen in particular is an awful matchup for Guenther's D from what I have seen. Bucs I could see being a Saints redux but I have a hard time thinking that they don't hit their stride at some point

Buffalo is a tough team, but they have make the Five Hour flight out here for that game. Last year they didn't have to fly past Denver. Hopefully some jet lag and bright lights will get them offer their game.

 

[Chadstroma]

So far so good.  Belichick will not let Waller beat them, and that worries me as it is going to put a ton of pressure on Ruggs and Edwards to make some plays against guys like Gilmore.  As good as the offense has looked in terms of creative playing calling and execution, the Patriots are great at forcing offenses to do what they prefer not to do.  Carr is going to need some great protection and deep ball accuracy with the rookie WRs continuing to shine.

I'm really hoping for some good news about Jonathan Abram.  That was a really scary moment with him just laid out on the ground.  I heard today his X-rays were negative so I guess that is great news, but I believe that same shoulder from last year is getting a MRI today so hopefully they are just being cautious.

Overall, a huge win; I can't think of better way to show off a new stadium on MNF.  I loved the decision at the end to kick the FG and just win the game.

They have a choice... key on Jacobs or key on Waller. If you do both then you ate going to let Ruggs, Edwards and Renfrow with occasional Jones and Agholar free to hurt you. I didn't expect Ruggs and Edwards to light things up right away but Ruggs can hurt you for sure if you don't account for him. I am not concerned about our offense as much as I am for our D. I can't wait for Kwiat to come back. The D really did look totally different when he was in and then after he was hurt. I also want to see more from Littleton. 

I am curious... do we kick the tires on Earl Thomas? Maybe even bring Burfict back until Kwiat is back? 

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I’m gonna go ahead and call Jacobs great. He’s a true bellcow back, and that’s getting rare in today’s NFL. If he stays healthy he’s going to be a top 6 pick next year.

He catches the ball, he’s in at the stripe, and they use him to run out the clock. On a team that appears to be on the rise, and a good run-blocking OL. 

I wish I had a share of him somewhere. I wonder if the Raiders uni hurts his perceived value.  

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

They have a choice... key on Jacobs or key on Waller. If you do both then you ate going to let Ruggs, Edwards and Renfrow with occasional Jones and Agholar free to hurt you.

Saints tried to key in on Jacobs last night & Waller burned them for 20. Two significant pieces. Man, I know there are a million reasons why they don’t, but how good would they be if they still had Amari Cooper. 

Feels like this offense is one difference making WR1 away from being elite. 

Maybe JuJu in 2021? 

 

[DocHolliday]

Saints tried to key in on Jacobs last night & Waller burned them for 20. Two significant pieces. Man, I know there are a million reasons why they don’t, but how good would they be if they still had Amari Cooper. 

Feels like this offense is one difference making WR1 away from being elite. 

Maybe JuJu in 2021? 

Haven’t we tried enough Steeler WRs?!

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Saints tried to key in on Jacobs last night & Waller burned them for 20. Two significant pieces. Man, I know there are a million reasons why they don’t, but how good would they be if they still had Amari Cooper. 

Feels like this offense is one difference making WR1 away from being elite. 

Maybe JuJu in 2021? 

I think that WR1 is on our roster, just needs some seasoning.

It's a huge stretch at this point to say that Ruggs and Edwards/Renfrow give us with what, say, Cooper and Crabree gave us, but potential is there - maybe to be better.

And we may not need an elite WR -- to your point, if we force teams to crowd the box, double Waller, etc. someone can get open and we just need the line to stand up in front of Carr long enough (and Carr needs to settle in, execute, and trust his arm and cook).

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Haven’t we tried enough Steeler WRs?!

That occurred to me as I typed that but didn’t want to scratch at freshly healed wounds.  

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

And we may not need an elite WR -- to your point, if we force teams to crowd the box, double Waller, etc. someone can get open and we just need the line to stand up in front of Carr long enough (and Carr needs to settle in, execute, and trust his arm and cook).

Carr looks a lot better to my eye this year than he has in the past. I realize some don’t love the dink & dunk style of play & want more deep shots, but they sure do move the ball down the field effectively and methodically this way. It’s not as sexy as a bigtime vertical game, but with Ruggs speed you gotta figure that’s coming. He’s drawn some big DPIs through 2 games. 

 

[JohnnyU]

What is the average number of years great RBs remain great?  Is it me or does it seem a lot less than it used right be?

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

I realize some don’t love the dink & dunk style of play & want more deep shots, but they sure do move the ball down the field effectively and methodically this way. 

This has not been the game plan this year. 

 

[Biabreakable]

What is the average number of years great RBs remain great?  Is it me or does it seem a lot less than it used right be?

For all RB who have had a top 12 fantasy season the average number of top 12 seasons is two.

If a RB has more than two top 12 fantasy seasons they are above that average and by that criteria could be called great rather than good.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

What is the average number of years great RBs remain great?  Is it me or does it seem a lot less than it used right be?

It’s a little chicken and egg-Ish. Sometimes the great RB doesn’t stay great. But with salary cap NFL, great RBs go team to team. 
 

and sometimes the team’s window is shorter.
 

For a RB to stay great for years, there must be a team around them that produces greatness. Thinking back to the great RBs of yore with longevity, they didn’t move around as much and the teams around them were pretty consistent for years. 

Now NFL teams have influx & outflux of talent every year. Hard to keep an offensive unit producing for an extended period.  And some of the ones that do have de-prioritized the position with RBBCs.  

I kinda miss the old days. 

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

This has not been the game plan this year. 

Maybe not the plan, but it’s what they looked the most efficient doing, as with the Saints. I also like that they take shots off of this to Waller & Ruggs.

I suspect they’ll open up the offense more when they play lesser secondaries. They seemed to want to pick on Jenkins a lot last night. Whoever he was on, that’s where they went. 

While entertaining, that was kind of a weird game last night. And jot just because they called Carr “Brees”.  

 

[Sarlakticacid]

I heard Mark Davis won’t attend a home game until the Raider fans can

#### he is awesome 

 

[Judge Smails]

I heard Mark Davis won’t attend a home game until the Raider fans can

#### he is awesome 

Yeah but can you get the dude a proper haircut?

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Maybe not the plan, but it’s what they looked the most efficient doing, as with the Saints.

1) Carr was efficient everywhere against the Saints

2) Carr was fairly even with his pass length distribution against the Saints.

Carr has more weapons to open up the WC offense (which is generally move the chains short pass football anyway), and you are seeing that diversity come to fruition.

This is not last year's Raiders, nor is it last year's Carr.

I heard Mark Davis won’t attend a home game until the Raider fans can

#### he is awesome 

I walked in in pregame just as they were mentioning Davis wasn't at the game. I was like, wha? He got the COVIDs? I had no idea this was the reason. Man, what a beut.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

1) Carr was efficient everywhere against the Saints

2) Carr was fairly even with his pass length distribution against the Saints.

Carr has more weapons to open up the WC offense (which is generally move the chains short pass football anyway), and you are seeing that diversity come to fruition.

This is not last year's Raiders, nor is it last year's Carr.

thrilled to see it. Dude’s a great QB2 in my Superflex.  

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Y'know what's going to win or lose the game for us this weekend?

I'll tell you what's going to win or lose the game for us this weekend.

The trenches.

On D,  Mad Maxx and Ferrell are continuing to be above average bookends -- Maxx still flashes on multiple plays per game, and Ferrell is a super solid lunchpail end who opens up opportunities for others as well as himself. They need to put the extra juice on to collapse the pocket and contain Cam.

The key here is what Collins/Hankins/Hurst do in the middle to clog lanes -- we need to stop the run like SEA did to force Cam to throw. Our secondary will have their hands full with Edelman and company running Belichick's schemes, but if we can get in Cam's face and frustrate him enough, and prevent him from calling his own number (which he loves to do) successfully, we can force him to make mistakes, turn the ball over, and begin pouting.

On our MASH unit of an O, we can't rely on Trent Brown (speaking of pouters) to have the calf (or possibly the heart) to play through injury and get back to the dominant form he can be. Similarly, we can't trust Incognito's Achilles to hold up -- seems his injury wasn't serious and he's expected to play, but I believe we're going to have to rely on Good and Simpson again. Both were rocks yesterday, but we this entire line to stand up the Pats D-line long enough to let Carr set his feet and be decisive with the ball.

If they can do that, and let Carr get into the rhythm we saw him in against the Saints, and protect him long enough for plays to develop, we have a shot.

I am not expecting a win after a super high emotion game, playing a tough team and an evil genius of a coach on the road on the East Coast in the early game.

I do expect to see consistency in the offense based on what we've seen so far. Hopefully this D continues to improve and gel. Maybe we get Kaptain K back this week, too. We'll need to wait until Thursday I imagine to get any sense because I have a feeling guys will be resting as much as they can to heal up during a short week.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

1) Carr was efficient everywhere against the Saints

by the way - craziest thing to me was his 3rd down completion %. At one point people in the in-game topic were trashing Carr while he was hovering around 80% on 12 or 13 3rd downs. That’s just an unreal conversion %.  This Raiders team is gonna sneak up on people. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

where was booker?  thought he looked really good in the 1st game.  

 

[joey]

where was booker?  thought he looked really good in the 1st game.  

Stinks for fantasy but I’m thinking that Gruden is getting off on mixing it up so much that opponents don’t know who’s gonna be used when (besides Jacobs and Waller, of course). 3 TE sets. Utilizing all of our WR depth. Switch our "change of pace" RB.  
 

i do wonder if Gruden leaned on Richard more because Jacobs got dinged and he wanted to be careful, and maybe it shows more "trust", or at least familiarity, with Richard than he has with Booker. 

 

[Bruno2]

Stinks for fantasy but I’m thinking that Gruden is getting off ok mixing it up so much that opponents don’t know who’s gonna be used when (besides Jacobs and Waller, of course). 3 TE sets. Utilizing all of our WR depth. Switch our "change of pace" RB.  
 

i do wonder if Gruden leaned on Richard more because Jacobs got dinged and he wanted to be careful, and maybe it shows more "trust"m or at least familiarity, with Richard than he has with Booker. 

Gruden has loved Richard's game from day one. Other than Carr, he's the only hold over from the old regime at a skill position. 

 

[Hankmoody]

Can we just appreciate how incredibly ballsy Gruden was in this game?

His overall playcalling was stellar - the Ingold TD was a great example of the perfect scheme.

But he was dialling up deep shots and being aggressive on going for it on 4th down.

And to kick the FG near midfield to try and ice the game? Shows incredible faith in your K, and live the go-for-broke, play-to-win-the-game attitude.

This is the kind of win that can help this team truly forge their identity and cohesiveness.

It's a long season, and we have tons to prove yet. But seeing the potential of this team actually play out on the field is joyous.

Yep I didn't see that as aggressive at all.  To me it's the "do your damn job" mindset that we need to have.  I can just hear Gruden in the booth with that sneer on his face (back when he was still skinny holy carp) "So what if it's a long FG attempt?   So what, they might get the ball near midfield if you miss?  Well then don't miss!  Guess what - with Drew Brees, punting to the 10 with 1:40 left isn't gonna get it done anyway.  Go kick the FG, do your damn job, and let's gtfo of here."

Our defense need a lot of work/experience/reps but I'll tell you what, you can't buy that kind of mental adjustment coming from the top.  It either comes or it does, and there are only 4-5 coaches in the league today that would have brought it.  It's a very Cowher-like decision in my mind.

 

[Hankmoody]

So far so good.  Belichick will not let Waller beat them, and that worries me as it is going to put a ton of pressure on Ruggs and Edwards to make some plays against guys like Gilmore.  As good as the offense has looked in terms of creative playing calling and execution, the Patriots are great at forcing offenses to do what they prefer not to do.  Carr is going to need some great protection and deep ball accuracy with the rookie WRs continuing to shine.

I'm really hoping for some good news about Jonathan Abram.  That was a really scary moment with him just laid out on the ground.  I heard today his X-rays were negative so I guess that is great news, but I believe that same shoulder from last year is getting a MRI today so hopefully they are just being cautious.

Overall, a huge win; I can't think of better way to show off a new stadium on MNF.  I loved the decision at the end to kick the FG and just win the game.

I love this comment and that's why I'm not going to get all gaga over one game from Carr.  He looked "fine" but he didn't pick the team up and carry them.   We still need to see that.  He did a great job of taking what the NOS (inexplicably) kept giving us - a wide open outlet guy to move the chains.  He was patient and accurate and looks in command of the offense.  But this was a high school offense tonight that NOS for some unknown reason couldn't adjust to.  They got little consistent pressure and Waller uncovered way, way too much.  He was efficient, but efficient only take you so far. 

Carr looked a lot better in the pocket after the first couple drives so hopefully we get 2016 Derek Carr back.  That dude was special.  But great teams aren't going to leave guys uncovered for easy first downs all day long.  The QB is gonna have to go make something happen, stick one in there tight late in the game, throw guys open, hit deep passes - that offense last night gets blown out of the water in KC.  Is 2016 Carr back?  I sure hope so, but it remains to be seen.

 

[Hankmoody]

Saints tried to key in on Jacobs last night & Waller burned them for 20. Two significant pieces. Man, I know there are a million reasons why they don’t, but how good would they be if they still had Amari Cooper. 

Feels like this offense is one difference making WR1 away from being elite. 

Maybe JuJu in 2021? 

Haven’t we tried enough Steeler WRs?!

Not if JJSS is in play, no we have not.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Not if JJSS is in play, no we have not.

He is a FA after this season I believe. He’d be a perfect fit. Guy can be a possession receiver underneath & still has enough wheels to get deep. Good hands, wants to win. I could totally see JJSS as a raider. 

 

[Sarlakticacid]

From Raider Cody on Twitter

A couple stats that are hard to believe...

Derek Carr is the only QB in the NFL who hasn't had one of his passes dropped, and the #Raiders are the 2nd-least penalized team so far in 2020.

 

[Chadstroma]

From Raider Cody on Twitter

A couple stats that are hard to believe...

Derek Carr is the only QB in the NFL who hasn't had one of his passes dropped, and the #Raiders are the 2nd-least penalized team so far in 2020.

WTF 2020 is one crazy year. 

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Yep I didn't see that as aggressive at all.  To me it's the "do your damn job" mindset that we need to have.  I can just hear Gruden in the booth with that sneer on his face (back when he was still skinny holy carp) "So what if it's a long FG attempt?   So what, they might get the ball near midfield if you miss?  Well then don't miss!  Guess what - with Drew Brees, punting to the 10 with 1:40 left isn't gonna get it done anyway.  Go kick the FG, do your damn job, and let's gtfo of here."

Our defense need a lot of work/experience/reps but I'll tell you what, you can't buy that kind of mental adjustment coming from the top.  It either comes or it does, and there are only 4-5 coaches in the league today that would have brought it.  It's a very Cowher-like decision in my mind.

I mean, I get the do your job/play to win the game mindset. And I think you are right as it's not as if they had an option to go for it (believe they needed 10 for the first down).

But I still give Gruden credit for that call as it absolutely took some balls. They did, after all, have the option to trust the D with just 1:05 left and no NO time outs left.

If you think that Brees can get it done by driving from his own 10 with that much time left, then weighing giving it to him at the 45 is that much more of a risk. 

And that was far from an automatic 54 yard  field goal. How many kickers in the league do you trust with that kick?

And before Monday night, was Carlson on that list?

 

[Chadstroma]

I love this comment and that's why I'm not going to get all gaga over one game from Carr.  He looked "fine" but he didn't pick the team up and carry them.   We still need to see that.  He did a great job of taking what the NOS (inexplicably) kept giving us - a wide open outlet guy to move the chains.  He was patient and accurate and looks in command of the offense.  But this was a high school offense tonight that NOS for some unknown reason couldn't adjust to.  They got little consistent pressure and Waller uncovered way, way too much.  He was efficient, but efficient only take you so far. 

Carr looked a lot better in the pocket after the first couple drives so hopefully we get 2016 Derek Carr back.  That dude was special.  But great teams aren't going to leave guys uncovered for easy first downs all day long.  The QB is gonna have to go make something happen, stick one in there tight late in the game, throw guys open, hit deep passes - that offense last night gets blown out of the water in KC.  Is 2016 Carr back?  I sure hope so, but it remains to be seen.

I read this as.... "yea, but did he throw 6 TD's?" 

 

[Chadstroma]

Saints tried to key in on Jacobs last night & Waller burned them for 20. Two significant pieces. Man, I know there are a million reasons why they don’t, but how good would they be if they still had Amari Cooper. 

Feels like this offense is one difference making WR1 away from being elite. 

Maybe JuJu in 2021? 

For whatever reason his head/heart wasn't in it with us. He literally lead the league one year in drops and was always vying for those top honors with us. Amari has done better with the Cowboys but even then, he still drops more than what you want/expect from a true #1. I am happy we got a first from him and moved on. 

I am still looking forward to both Ruggs and Edwards maturing. Rookie WR's usually have a learning curve. Until then, Ruggs speed adds more to the offense than his individual production (and not to mention penalty yardage). 

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

For whatever reason his head/heart wasn't in it with us. He literally lead the league one year in drops and was always vying for those top honors with us. Amari has done better with the Cowboys but even then, he still drops more than what you want/expect from a true #1. I am happy we got a first from him and moved on. 
 

he also gets dinged up a lot. 

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

He did a great job of taking what the NOS (inexplicably) kept giving us - a wide open outlet guy to move the chains.

But this was a high school offense tonight that NOS for some unknown reason couldn't adjust to.  They got little consistent pressure and Waller uncovered way, way too much.  He was efficient, but efficient only take you so far. 

But great teams aren't going to leave guys uncovered for easy first downs all day long. 

The Saints D are a consensus Top 10 D. Not a stretch to say they are Top 5.

Aside from saying it was an off night (NGL, it definitely looked that way), could the Raiders success also feasibly, possibly, been related to the fact that:

1. Waller is simply such a mismatch in size, talent, and ability, that he's just super hard to limit even if you have decent coverage on him?
   
2. Jacobs is the kind of back that you need to cheat, or outright stack, the box to account for? I'll point to his yards after contact as proof - 181 yards this season, 100 of them YACs).
   
3. The fact that you need to cheat the box and put one of your better defenders on Waller is going to leave soft coverage -- whether in zone or man -- elsewhere, and that's usually exploitable (especially in a WCO)?
   
4. That the 3 points above are the reason that guys were going uncovered, and not because NO "inexplicably" gave us opportunities or left guys uncovered?
   

Payton is a pretty smart coach and Dennis Allen is no slouch as a D-coordinator either (before you point to his disastrous run with us, I'll remind you that D, not overall or O, is his lifeblood, having learned under Slocum's "Wrecking Crew" defensive philosophy in college as a player and coach, and solely being involved in defensive coaching for the Falcons, Saints during their SB run, and Broncos). You would think they would know how to adjust, especially with the talent they have on D in NO.

We played to our best potential last night and we saw what happened when everything starts to click. We need to keep that up and there's a long way to go. 

But maybe --just maybe -- the reason we were so successful wasn't just because NO played like doo, but because we have the kind of offense that can be hard to stop when it clicks?

As to the bolded, guy had 282 yards with a 74% completion rate, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He was taking shots all over the field. Honest question -- what more could you possibly want from a QB?

 

[Hankmoody]

I read this as.... "yea, but did he throw 6 TD's?" 

That's your issue, not mine.

 

[Hankmoody]

The Saints D are a consensus Top 10 D. Not a stretch to say they are Top 5.

Aside from saying it was an off night (NGL, it definitely looked that way), could the Raiders success also feasibly, possibly, been related to the fact that:

1. Waller is simply such a mismatch in size, talent, and ability, that he's just super hard to limit even if you have decent coverage on him?
   
2. Jacobs is the kind of back that you need to cheat, or outright stack, the box to account for? I'll point to his yards after contact as proof - 181 yards this season, 100 of them YACs).
   
3. The fact that you need to cheat the box and put one of your better defenders on Waller is going to leave soft coverage -- whether in zone or man -- elsewhere, and that's usually exploitable (especially in a WCO)?
   
4. That the 3 points above are the reason that guys were going uncovered, and not because NO "inexplicably" gave us opportunities or left guys uncovered?
   

Payton is a pretty smart coach and Dennis Allen is no slouch as a D-coordinator either (before you point to his disastrous run with us, I'll remind you that D, not overall or O, is his lifeblood, having learned under Slocum's "Wrecking Crew" defensive philosophy in college as a player and coach, and solely being involved in defensive coaching for the Falcons, Saints during their SB run, and Broncos). You would think they would know how to adjust, especially with the talent they have on D in NO.

We played to our best potential last night and we saw what happened when everything starts to click. We need to keep that up and there's a long way to go. 

But maybe --just maybe -- the reason we were so successful wasn't just because NO played like doo, but because we have the kind of offense that can be hard to stop when it clicks?

As to the bolded, guy had 282 yards with a 74% completion rate, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He was taking shots all over the field. Honest question -- what more could you possibly want from a QB?

A 74% completion rate is nice, but not if they are all within 5 yards of the LOS.  He's gotta get downfield when needed, and he's gotta complete them.  And he's gotta do it with someone other than Waller, because eventually teams are going to force him to.  He hasn't done that yet.  He kind of hasn't had to so I'm not actually blaming him, I'm just curbing my enthusiasm so far.  I'm from Missouri, you gotta show me.  He hasn't since 2016.  I hope to gosh he does, I'm as big a Raider fan as any and we only go as far as he can take us, but that's the real issue - how far is that?

 

[Hankmoody]

I mean, I get the do your job/play to win the game mindset. And I think you are right as it's not as if they had an option to go for it (believe they needed 10 for the first down).

But I still give Gruden credit for that call as it absolutely took some balls. They did, after all, have the option to trust the D with just 1:05 left and no NO time outs left.

If you think that Brees can get it done by driving from his own 10 with that much time left, then weighing giving it to him at the 45 is that much more of a risk. 

And that was far from an automatic 54 yard  field goal. How many kickers in the league do you trust with that kick?

And before Monday night, was Carlson on that list?

Don't misunderstand, I wasn't dismissing it.  I totally give Gruden credit.  My comment about it being "not aggressive" meant I think that's just how he does it.  He didn't see it as a gamble, or aggressive, or taking a stance - it's just his expectation of people being able to go out and do what they are paid for.  I love it.

 

[Hankmoody]

From Raider Cody on Twitter

A couple stats that are hard to believe...

Derek Carr is the only QB in the NFL who hasn't had one of his passes dropped, and the #Raiders are the 2nd-least penalized team so far in 2020.

Well now you've done it.

 

[Biabreakable]

I mean, I get the do your job/play to win the game mindset. And I think you are right as it's not as if they had an option to go for it (believe they needed 10 for the first down).

But I still give Gruden credit for that call as it absolutely took some balls. They did, after all, have the option to trust the D with just 1:05 left and no NO time outs left.

If you think that Brees can get it done by driving from his own 10 with that much time left, then weighing giving it to him at the 45 is that much more of a risk. 

And that was far from an automatic 54 yard  field goal. How many kickers in the league do you trust with that kick?

And before Monday night, was Carlson on that list?

I recall watching that and commenting that its nice to have the security of a 10 year contract.

It worked. I am still not sure if it was the right call or not. Brees is dangerous with any amount of time.

Carlson can really boot it. Its more his accuracy that is an issue. He would still be a Viking if not for some bad kicks at times in his young career.

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

A 74% completion rate is nice, but not if they are all within 5 yards of the LOS.  He's gotta get downfield when needed, and he's gotta complete them.  And he's gotta do it with someone other than Waller, because eventually teams are going to force him to.  He hasn't done that yet.  He kind of hasn't had to so I'm not actually blaming him, I'm just curbing my enthusiasm so far.  I'm from Missouri, you gotta show me.  He hasn't since 2016.  I hope to gosh he does, I'm as big a Raider fan as any and we only go as far as he can take us, but that's the real issue - how far is that?

Always appreciate the debate and if in the end you want to think Carr needs to show you way more for you to believe, that's your absolute right.

And I will agree that he needs to get his timing right with Ruggs --  there was that 40 yard bomb he overthrew where if if he just hit his back shoulder correctly, that would have been a TD. And that was on Carr all the way, Ruggs had a clear step or two on the defender.

But that's one throw. I'm glad the Raiders are opening up downfield as I think it plays to the strength of their players -- receivers AND Carr. I don't think we had the horses to get open on streak downfield plays since 2018 (even Cooper didn't translate his combine speed into a consistent big play threat for us). 

To the bolded part, you asked for it, so here it is: 

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/charts/list/pass/team/season/week/derek-carr/CAR358797/2020/2/pass

For passes over 10 yards, he completed 5 (including one for a TD - a throw that had the perfect touch and put in a place where only Jones could nab it. He had 4 incompletions. Just as I can't say he's perfect on long throws, I don't think you can say he doesn't get downfield when needed or that he can't complete them. 

Here's another: https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/charts/player/season/derek-carr/CAR358797/2019/all/qb-grid

Not only is Carr's rating good on plays over 10 yards, he is much better than average -- and particularly on either side of the field on throws that are 20+ yards. So he can and does complete them at a rate better than most.

You complain about just focusing on Waller, He spread the ball to 9 different receivers in Week 1, and  11 different receivers on Monday. Should he simply ignore Waller because the guy is a stellar player? If Waller gets wide open at the back of the end zone, should Carr target someone else instead of hit him for the 3rd TD of the night?

It's your right to be a doubter. You are right that Carr can and should continue to get better and tighten up his timing and instinct to go deep if a player is open. You are right he has some games where the bulk of his passes are 10 yards or less from LOS (Week 1 was one of those games).

But -- with all due respect, peace and love to a fellow Raider Faithful whose opinion on this board and in this thread I respect  -- coming out of a game like that, where Carr played as perfect as a game as you can, helping the team come back from what looked like sure defeat early to beating one of the best Ds in the NFL -- and you focusing criticism about his performance and ability and wanting him to show you more, makes me think you are being too myopically glass-half-empty. 

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Don't misunderstand, I wasn't dismissing it.  I totally give Gruden credit.  My comment about it being "not aggressive" meant I think that's just how he does it.  He didn't see it as a gamble, or aggressive, or taking a stance - it's just his expectation of people being able to go out and do what they are paid for.  I love it.

Got it. You are right, I did not pick up on that though re-reading the post with the above in mind makes it clear.

Still ballsy, and I love it too. 

 

[Chadstroma]

That's your issue, not mine.

I have no issue. I am enjoying that most people are catching up on Carr on what I have been saying all along. I have faith that we will see more proof of that as the season goes on. Some haters will finally admit they were haters and move on.... some will continue to find reasons to knit pick. That certainly isn't any issues I have. 

 

[dcgangstas]

1) Carr was efficient everywhere against the Saints

2) Carr was fairly even with his pass length distribution against the Saints.

Carr has more weapons to open up the WC offense (which is generally move the chains short pass football anyway), and you are seeing that diversity come to fruition.

This is not last year's Raiders, nor is it last year's Carr.

I walked in in pregame just as they were mentioning Davis wasn't at the game. I was like, wha? He got the COVIDs? I had no idea this was the reason. Man, what a beut.

I totally agree with your analysis, Tom. 

I haven't always been the biggest Carr guy, but he was very efficient and in command of the offense.    He made plays, but I would still like to see more deep throws to Ruggs.   If they want him to be a Tyreek clone, they should draw up more opportunities for him.   As I consistently said before the draft I still would have preferred Cee Dee as our first rounder, but I'll get off that soapbox (for now).  Lamb reminds me so much of DeAndre Hopkins.   

Absolutely in love with Johnathan Abram.   That kid looks like the 2nd coming of Jack Tatum.   A Baby Assassin.   

 

[davidwb]

Concerns with Jacobs and Waller not practicing on Wednesday? Just rest days?

 

[ICON211]

Concerns with Jacobs and Waller not practicing on Wednesday? Just rest days?

With the game being Monday night and both being heavily used I would not be concerned yet, especially with Waller.  Jacobs got banged up so a little concern with him, but most likely just a rest day, especially since it's a short week.