Oakland Raiders Week 3 Stock Report
The Oakland Raiders split their two home games and will now venture on a journey east to take care of business on the road.
The Raiders’ Week 2 victory didn’t come easily, with plenty of shortcomings leftover to clean up before playing the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to Oakland’s two-game road trip, we’ll evaluate a handful of players whose stock either dropped or rose based on their last outings.
This stock report features favorable assessments for offensive players and some critical evaluations on the defense. Of course, a 37-33 win would suggest that it’s the defense that needs some fine-tuning to match an optimal offense.
Find out who fell asleep in coverage and who helped shred the Baltimore Ravens’ vaunted secondary.
Derek Carr: Stock Up
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One week after suffering a bruised hand, quarterback Derek Carr played the best game of his short career. He threw for a career-high 351 yards and three touchdowns.
The second-year quarterback started the game in rhythm and ended the game with an 80-yard game-winning drive. The jubilation on Carr’s face at the postgame press conference told the entire story.
An underwhelming preseason performance and a sloppy regular-season opener stirred the pot for backup quarterback Matt McGloin. But Carr came out and proved to his coaching staff why he’s the clear-cut starter for this team.
Carr still needs to establish consistency, but this game provides a starting point. His stock rises, but can he continue to build off a stellar performance?
Taylor Mays: Stock Down
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The Raiders thrust safety Taylor Mays into action less than a week after they re-signed him to the active roster.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mays missed two tackles and surrendered a touchdown pass in the Raiders’ Week 2 victory. The time span between signing his contract and taking the field didn’t allow much preparation—the effects showed in Mays’ poor tackling.
He’ll likely get another chance at fulfilling the starting role alongside Charles Woodson in Week 3.
The Raiders secondary will continue to leak as Mays tackles the learning curve before effectively wrapping up a tackle on the field.
Amari Cooper: Stock Up
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Wide receiver Amari Cooper recorded his first 100-yard game as a pro.
Raider Nation saw the birth of the AC-DC connection for a score early in the first quarter. Carr delivered an accurate strike to Cooper, and the rookie did the rest, extending the completion for a 68-yard touchdown.
Cooper dropped two early passes, but Carr’s confidence in the first-round pick didn’t waiver. Cooper saw 11 targets and caught seven of them in a solid performance against a tough Ravens secondary.
The fourth overall pick has outperformed every other first-round wide receiver in total receiving yards.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker (three yards), Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor (36 yards) and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (70 yards) all trail Cooper by a significant margin.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman haven’t played a snap due to injuries.
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Curtis Lofton: Stock Down
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It’s too early to tell if inside linebacker Curtis Lofton’s poor Week 2 outing indicates an erosion in his game.
When watching the film, it’s clear Lofton didn’t have the quickness to position himself to make plays. A significant part of the inside linebacker’s duty involves proper positioning. Lofton showed alarming inefficiencies in that particular area against the Ravens.
Lofton’s lapses offer an explanation as to why second-year tight end Crockett Gillmore found open pockets in the middle of the Raiders defense. At times, Lofton reacted too slowly or chose poor angles for his tackles—he missed three tackles in total against the Ravens.
In 2014, Lofton allowed the most yards after the catch in coverage among inside linebackers, and that trend presented itself again in Week 2.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco targeted Lofton seven times and completed all seven passes. The Raiders secondary looked poor on first glance, but Gillmore had very little resistance in shorter distances in the middle of the field.
Andre Holmes: Stock Up
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Both Raiders starting wide receivers registered 100-yard games, and slot receiver Seth Roberts caught the game-winning touchdown.
Wide receiver Andre Holmes’ contributions didn’t flash on the highlight reel like his fellow wideouts, but he’s managed to find his niche within the offense. Holmes caught three passes for 50 yards.
No big deal, right?
Well, two of Holmes’ catches counted for first downs, and the other reception brought the Raiders from 2nd-and-23 to 3rd-and-2. Carr converted the following third-down play.
You’d have to dig deep to see the significance in Holmes’ catches, but his receptions meant more than the box score would suggest.
Oakland opted to keep him as the fourth wide receiver over Rod Streater, and the decision paid dividends in a subtle but effective manner.
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for news, updates and intriguing discussion about the Oakland Raiders.
All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Week 2 statistics and play-by-play analysis provided by NFL.com.
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