Buffalo Bills vs. Oakland Raiders: Full Report-Card Grades for Oakland
The plan for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday was simple: run the ball, avoid giving up big plays and force Kyle Orton to beat them with his arm. It wasn't always pretty, but the Raiders were successful enough in these areas. The result was a 26-24 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Latavius Murray got his second start, and he once again showed that he will be Oakland's starting running back in 2015. He consistently finds openings, and he's able to exploit them. And even when there isn't one there, he always seems to move the pile. Perhaps announcers Brian Anderson and Chris Simms said it best when they pointed out that no matter what happens, Murray always seems to fall forward.
The defense's performance was somewhat frustrating. It was brutally efficient on the ground, completely shutting down the Buffalo rushing attack. The defense held the Bills to 13 rushing yards and forced Orton to be the difference. As suspected, he wasn't up to the task.
But the defense negated some of its own work by giving up too many big plays through the air. Still, it did just enough in the end against the pass, held Buffalo to 4-of-15 on third down and was able to get enough stops.
The Raiders have now won three of their last five games. But this win might have been the most impressive given how good the Buffalo defense has been. Here's how Oakland won their third straight home game.
Quarterback
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Derek Carr didn't have a great completion percentage, and it wasn't his prettiest performance. But his stat line shows how efficient he was overall.
| vs. Buffalo Bills | ||||||
| Comp/Att | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | RTG | Sacks/Yds |
| 17/34 | 50 | 214 | 2 | 0 | 89.6 | 1/7 |
Completing only 50 percent of his passes isn't great. But he avoided turnovers, was sacked only once and threw two touchdown passes. To put that in perspective, the Bills played Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers the last two weeks. They held them to no touchdowns and two interceptions each.
More importantly, he did something he's struggled with, which is taking advantage of downfield opportunities. There weren't many against the Bills defense, but he did enough to keep the offense moving and scoring points.
Carr had two completions of at least 50 yards, and both were great passes. He dropped one right into the arms of Kenbrell Thompkins for 50 yards. He also hit Andre Holmes for 51 yards on 3rd-and-22 at a crucial point in the game by placing the ball high where only his receiver could get it.
It's been a slow process for Carr, but he's starting to put good games together more consistently. This might have been his most impressive given the competition. He was once again patient, let the plays develop, took what the defense gave him and maximized the opportunities.
Grade: B
Running Back and Fullback
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This is the rushing attack Raiders fans have been clamoring for.
In the preview for this game, I listed Latavius Murray as someone who had to play a big role and that he should have no fewer than 20 carries. He ended up with 23, and his impact was obvious.
Even though he ended with an unimpressive average of 3.7 yards per carry, he forced the Buffalo defense to respect the run. He had a long of 25, and he had other long runs. The Bills couldn't just pin their ears back and rush the passer, because when they did, Murray found openings and got to the second level.
This also opened things up for Darren McFadden, who had his most productive game. He totaled 54 yards on nine carries for an average of six yards per attempt. Oakland might have finally figured out the correct ratio for the running backs to be effective: let Murray carry the bulk of the load, and bring in McFadden to exploit a weakened run defense.
Even the fullbacks, who are perpetually underused, got in on the action. Marcel Reece had two catches for 20 yards. That's not enough touches, but he at least had an opportunity to contribute.
The real surprise was Jamize Olawale, who came into the game with two rushes and two receptions on the year. He's primarily used to block on passing plays. But on a 2nd-and-goal in the fourth quarter, he leaked out to the left side and caught a one-yard pass for a touchdown. The score turned out to be the game-winner.
It was the most effective rushing attack the Raiders have had this year, as Murray and McFadden rushed 32 times for 140 yards. Oakland came out and set the tone by hitting one of the league's best defenses right in the mouth, and they did it with the running game.
Grade: B+
Tight End
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It was a quiet game for Mychal Rivera. He did have a big catch late in the game in which he ran through two defenders to pick up five yards and a first down. But it was his only reception on four targets.
Rivera's biggest contribution came as a blocker. The Bills have arguably the toughest front four in the NFL, and Rivera was needed to help out against defensive ends Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes. He often had to stay home to block, and he did well in this role. But it kept him from going out to catch passes.
It wasn't the most exciting game from the tight end, but it was a special circumstance given the defense the Raiders were facing. Tight ends get recognition for the catching passes because that's what makes it into the highlights. they don't get nearly enough credit for blocking. Rivera is still a work in progress in this area, but he did well against Buffalo.
However, he's still primarily a pass-catching tight end. As such, he has to find ways to get open and make plays even against tough defenses. He wasn't able to do that today.
Grade: C-
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Wide Receiver
4 of 11The biggest issue for this unit remains consistency. There's no one in this group that can regularly get open. There are times when Carr seems to just throw the ball out of bounds over the head of his receiver, but it's because the receiver can't get separation. This happens too often, and it negates too many opportunities.
But against the Bills, the group made two really big plays to redeem itself. The first was a 50-yard reception by Kenbrell Thompkins. It was a great pass, but just as much credit has to go to Thompkins. He beat his man up the middle of the field, turned to find the ball and adjusted to bring it in.
The second was the 51-yard catch by Andre Holmes (check out the video above). This is why the Raiders are so fascinated with the 6'4" receiver. It was a jump ball, and Holmes went up to get it at its highest point for the big gain.
Thompkins finished with 90 yards on five catches, and Holmes had 73 yards on three receptions. But aside from them, only James Jones had a catch. It was a big one—a three-yard touchdown—but it came in the second quarter, and it was his only reception of the game.
This group can have a good game here and there, and they had one on Sunday. But it won't really come together until a consistent threat is added to the unit.
Grade: B-
Offensive Line
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The Raiders offense goes as the offensive line goes. This was perhaps the unit's toughest matchup, and it stepped up the challenge.
The Bills entered the game as the league leaders in sacks, but the offensive line gave up only one. The offensive line provided the time for Carr to survey the field and for longer routes to develop.
But even more impressive was what the O-line was able to do to the Bills on the ground. Even when Buffalo was expecting a run, the offensive line still got a good push and created running lanes that Murray and McFadden were able to exploit.
Tackles Donald Penn and Khalif Barnes were both impressive given whom they were facing. Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes are among the league leaders in sacks, but Penn and Barnes kept them at bay. Williams had half a sack, and Hughes had none.
Gabe Jackson continues to show why he's so highly regarded and why he's locked in as Oakland's left guard for the foreseeable future. He's a nasty interior blocker, especially on running plays, and he imposed his will on the dominant Buffalo front.
The unit was aided by the absence of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, who left the game in the first half and didn't return. But credit goes to the offensive line for exploiting the weakness. They took on one of the NFL's best defensive fronts, and they beat them convincingly both running the ball and in pass protection.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
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This might have been the defensive line's most impressive performance. They were able to generate a great push all game. This forced the entire Buffalo offensive line to be accountable for their man, and it kept them from double-teaming Khalil Mack.
Justin Tuck came up with his third sack of the year, and he also totaled three quarterback hits. He got to the runners early and sniffed out screen passes.
Up the middle, the Raiders have found a combination that works in Antonio Smith and rookie Justin Ellis. Smith has played better as the season has progressed and has been able to get into the backfield more often.
Ellis has worked his way into the starting lineup, and he's made good use of his massive 6'2", 334-pound frame. He didn't have a tackle or a sack, but he regularly blew up plays up the middle.
This was a big reason for the defensive line's proudest accomplishment of the day: The Bills ran the ball 13 times, and the Oakland defensive line allowed a pitiful 13 yards in the process. Per Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area, that's Oakland's third best performance against the run in franchise history.
The unit excelled both against the run and in disrupting the quarterback's rhythm in a dominant performance.
Grade: A-
Linebacker
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Khalil Mack just keeps getting better and better. He had his best game, and he was a terror the entire game both as a pass-rusher and a run-stopper.
Rushing the passer, he did most of his damage coming from the left side. Bills rookie right tackle Seantrel Henderson had no idea what to do with him, and Mack made him look completely over-matched. He used a mix of power rushes and quickness to regularly get into the backfield and to Kyle Orton. He picked up one sack, and he hit him several other times.
He was just as tough against the run, regularly meeting the running back at or behind the line and not giving up any yards after contact. This was the rookie linebacker's strongest case for Rookie of the Year, finishing with five tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits.
You can check out highlights of Mack's performance here.
Miles Burris had a big game as he totaled a team-high 13 tackles. He showed some of the same issues he's exhibited in the past—missed open-field tackles and difficulties in coverage—but he was solid overall and was always around the ball.
Even Ray-Ray Armstrong got in on the action, coming up with a big play late in the game when he knocked down a pass on third down as the Bills were driving.
As a group, there were some lapses in coverage and missed tackles on receivers. But the linebackers were a major reason why Oakland was so tough against the run. Even without Sio Moore, the group had a great game.
Grade: A-
Secondary
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It was an up-and-down game at cornerback for Oakland. With Tarell Brown lost for the final two games, the Raiders started D.J. Hayden and T.J. Carrie, two players who have yet to play a full NFL season. They had their moments, but they also gave up some big plays.
The Bills had four receivers with a reception of longer than 30 yards, and a fifth with a long of 29. Hayden and Carrie held their own for much of the game. But when they got beat, they were beaten badly.
Fortunately, the safeties contributed to cleaning up some of these mistakes. Charles Woodson and Brandian Ross each came up with interceptions. Woodson's was a game-changer, as it occurred in the first quarter when the Bills had all the momentum, were up seven and were driving. It gave Oakland the momentum, and the team went on to score 13 unanswered points.
It was also the first major action of rookie Keith McGill's career, and he looked good. He showed the ability to stay with receivers, and his 6'3" frame caused Orton to miss some throws. It's a small sample, but he showed enough to get more playing time next week.
Orton threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, and much of that success came on a few plays where the secondary lapsed in coverage. The unit played well for much of the game, but it gave up too many big plays and was the defense's weakest unit.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
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Sebastian Janikowski had his busiest game of the year, and he came through. He went 4-of-5 on field goals, including a long of 49. He missed his final attempt, but fortunately it didn't affect the outcome.
Marquette King, on the other hand, has been busy all season. So busy, in fact, that he set a new single-season record for punts in Raiders franchise history. His six punts against the Bills have him up to an even 100 for the season.
He was once again effective, averaging 44.2 yards yard per punt, including a long of 57. Field position played a major role, and King did his part. He was able to get both distance and hang time, helping to continuously push Buffalo back.
What had been missing for Oakland was effectiveness in coverage, and they paid for it last week. But the coverage units did much better against the Bills. Marcus Thigpen, who returned a punt for a touchdown last week, was held to an average of 3.7 yards on three attempts.
Special teams embodied exactly what the Raiders as a whole needed to do: avoid mistakes and take advantage of opportunities.
Grade: A-
Coaching
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Nobody has been criticized in Oakland as much as the coaches. And of the coaches, offensive coordinator Greg Olson has been the public's favorite whipping boy. The fact is that the criticism has been deserved. But if he's going to be criticized for his mistakes, he should be given credit when he does well. And against the Bills, he called a good game overall.
Marcell Dareus is a major reason for why the Buffalo defensive line is so effective. He clogs up the middle and single-handedly generates a push up the middle. He went down with an injury, and Olson took advantage of the opportunity. The Raiders ran the ball more often, and the offense scored six times: two touchdowns and four field goals.
Olson also included an effective mix of deep passes. His play-calling spread the ball all over the field, increasing the effectiveness of the offense.
Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver called another good game despite the lapses in the defense. He did have a couple of suspect calls, specifically on two plays when he called an all-out blitz on third down. The Bills converted both times on big gains.
Aside from that, the defense was always in position to succeed. The unit gave up too many big plays, but that was mostly on the players. Tarver put them in a position to succeed. After that, it's up to the player to make it happen.
Following the game, Charles Woodson said that interim head coach Tony Sparano had "definitely made his case" to be named the permanent head coach (via CSN Bay Area's Scott Bair). It's highly unlikely that he'll be back even though most of the players seem to like him. But there's no doubt that the team has played better with him in charge.
At the very least, it should be acknowledged that the team has played harder for Sparano than it ever did for Dennis Allen. He won't be back, but he won't have trouble finding another job.
Grade: B
Final Grades
11 of 11| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | B+ |
| TE | C- |
| WR | B- |
| OL | A |
| DLA | A- |
| LB | A- |
| Secondary | C+ |
| Special Teams | A- |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | B+ |
For Raiders fans, the things that made this an enjoyable game to watch have too often been absent, which is what has made the season so frustrating.
Why hasn't the team played like this every game? Why hasn't this been the play-calling all season?
It's too late to do anything about that. What should instead be focused on is that Oakland has some major building blocks, and they're ready to be major factors now.
There's more to be taken away from this week's game for next season aside from draft implications. The Raiders have found their franchise quarterback, they have a stud running back, and Khalil Mack is going to be a terror for years.
The win did cost the Raiders a few spots in next year's draft, but that shouldn't take away from this performance. They hosted a serious playoff contender, and they were the better team.
Oakland is better than 3-12, and they showed it against the Bills.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.
Share your thoughts and opinions on Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.
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