Official Las Vegas Raiders Thread

Should not have been this hard but yes I'll take it. Steered clear of all Raider sites this week. Indy coming to the Death Star next Sunday. We play up to the level of our competition...let's see what happens.

Still not convinced.

 

Raiders / Jets
I watch it again, because I can.

OFFENSE
Good looking drive leads to an INT. This was an adjustment by Ruggs, it looked, not a planned route, and he and Carr miscommunicated a bit, I think. He was comming narrow, Carr threw it a bit deeper, and it's an INT. That INT is on both dudes. But it's 2nd and 1. Carr could have run for it.

I think Agholor and Waller both drew holding penalties. They were a handful for that secondary. Waller just feasted. Wide open twice on that TD drive.

Running game was just awful. No one could get anything going.

Carr made a nice play to slip a sack, but the felt the pressure and threw wide and out of bounds. He simply has to be more willing to run. That was a second and 7. Even a couple yards on a run sets up a shorter third down.

Golden opportunity to get some points at the end of the first half after a nice toss to Renfrow. But Jackson and Young surrender sacks on consecutive plays.

Most complete drive of the day in the third quarter. Running game worked, Waller and Renfrow had key catches, and Carr runs it in.

Ruggs's fumble was killer. Raiders had a first down and the lead, but very quickly things turned south.

Carr missed Agholor on that last drive - long pass. But he also had a receiver wide open at the left of the field.

Raiders showed character on the final drive. Third and 10? Waller. Third and 5? Jets hold. Fourth and 8? Waller interfered with. Fourth and 3? TD/negated. Then Carr with a head scratcher.

Actually, what was what appeared to be the last drive. Real last drive starts with 34 second left. First down - nice strike to Waller to get into Jets' territory. What a play by Ruggs.

DEFENSE
Darnold had one of his best games. Raiders' secondary continues miscues. Joyner got lost tracking across the middle on a third and 8 early. Joyner and Kwiatkoski struggled across the middle. Lots of crossing routes and slants. Good game plan against this D. Lawson couldn't close quickly enough on the pick route. TD.

Career game for Ferrell? It's 13-7 when Ferrell comes up with his first strip sack. The O can't move at all, but they get a FG to make it 13-10.

Mullen - whom I have as the highest rated LVR DB - comes up with a well timed and needed pick. The Raiders drive down and score on another big play by Waller. Turnovers the story of the game.

Ferrell gives the Raiders another shot to add to their lead with that second strip sack.

Morrow continues his sack fest. Four QB Hits and 2 sacks in his last four games.

That Jets drive that spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth was a real punch in the mouth. Ground or air - didn't matter. Raiders had no answers. Capped off by Darnold trucking Heath for the score.

Keisean Nixon looked like he made the tackle to save the game on third down.

Biggest Pros
The Raiders are 7-5, in control of their own destiny. Team showed grit when it mattered.

Biggest Cons
Cannot play like they have the last two weeks and beat more than one or two teams in the league.

 

HUGE game coming up.

Per 538, LV's playoff chances are 45% right now.
A win puts them at 70%.
A loss puts them at 25%. (And even if they win out after that, they no longer control their own destiny.)

 

Ruggs's Season

First Four LV Games
2 games
2 starts
8 targets
4 receptions
59 yards
2 rushes
11 yards
1 kick return
9 yards
2 penalties
+34 yards
That's 13 plays, 113 yards

Games 5-8
4 games
4 starts
13 targets
6 receptions
161 yards
1 TD
3 rushes
11 yards
1 kick return
9 yards
1 penalty
+5 yards
That's 18 plays, 186 yards, 1 TD

Games 9-12
4 games
4 starts
14 targets
10 receptions
176 yards
1 TD
2 rushes
10 yards
4 kick returns
92 yards
That's 20 plays, 278 yards, 1 TD

We still need more Ruggs. In five games with 4+ targets, he has 14 receptions, 234 yards, and a TD. That projects out to 45 receptions, 749 yards, and 3 TDs.

 

Ruggs has been more of a decoy... Scare and draw secondaries deep.

 

It's a shame though. He can take some of those crossing routes and do serious damage.

 

Let's Root For...

Colts vs. Raiders
Raiders need this one.

Browns vs. Ravens
Browns. If the Browns beat the Ravens, the Raiders' chances increase from 47% to 52%.

Titans vs. Jaguars
A Jaguars win helps a bit, pushing LV's chances to 51%

Dolphins vs. Chiefs
Chiefs. A KC win pushes the Raiders to 49%. A Dolphins win complicates matters.

Steelers vs. Bills
This one has little impact on the Raiders' chances. A Pitt win is a little more favorable for the Raiders.

Best Case Scenario
All those things happen, and the Raiders' chances are 80% for the playoffs.

Current Odds Scenario
Tennessee wins.
KC wins.
Pittsburgh wins.
Baltimore wins.

If the Raiders win, they have a 69% shot at the playoffs, and they're in control of their own destiny.

 

PI on first down. Let's get some pressure on Rivers.

 

200 yards rushing surrendered last week - gashed early today.

 

Taylor nearing 50 yards in the first quarter.

 

D steps up! Hold them to a FG.

 

Game Updates.

Colts vs. Raiders
Raiders need this one.

Browns vs. Ravens: Browns. If the Browns beat the Ravens, the Raiders' chances increase from 47% to 52%.

Titans vs. Jaguars: A Jaguars win helps a bit, pushing LV's chances to 51%. Titans Win.

Dolphins vs. Chiefs: Chiefs. A KC win pushes the Raiders to 49%. A Dolphins win complicates matters. KC Win.

Steelers vs. Bills: This one has little impact on the Raiders' chances. A Pitt win is a little more favorable for the Raiders

 

God awful first drive. Two yards, two incomplete passes.

 

Abram with an unnecessary roughness. He's such a clown sometimes.

 

Colts 10 first downs. 132 yards. 10 points.
Raiders 0 first downs. 2 yards. 0 points.

 

Ruggs: 1 kickoff return, 24 yards.

 

Ruggs: 1 reception, 6 yards, 1 first down

 

Welcome back to the endzone, Foster Moreau!

 

D stepped up there.

 

That's a good drive. Solid runs, some big passes, and the Raiders make it 14-10.