Oakland Raiders' Week 15 Stock Report

The Oakland Raiders’ Week 15 stock report features some disappointing performances from talented offensive skill players and ultimate praise for key components within an undervalued special teams unit.

The defense and special teams won the turnover and field-position battles to put the Raiders in good position to score points. Offensively, Oakland was sleepwalking through the first half.

In the second half, the tight ends propelled the Raiders into the lead. Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera deserve honorable mention for moving the chains. Rivera scored the final touchdown on a fake screen pass. 

After some bitter losses, Oakland tasted a sweet hard-fought victory over a division rival.

Whose stock rose, and which players continued to trend downward after Sunday’s 15-12 win over the Denver Broncos?

Khalil Mack: Stock Up

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The NFL sack leader plays for the Raiders—a statement that seemed out of reach with edge-rusher Khalil Mack’s slow start in the sack column.

He posed unique challenges for opposing rush offenses and provided significant pocket pressure throughout the season. Nonetheless, he entered a new realm as a disruptive sack champion against the Broncos. 

Mack’s five sacks tied Hall of Famer Howie Long’s five-sack performance in 1983 as a franchise record, per Associated Press writer Josh Dubow.

The Raiders defensive lineman also forced a fumble, leading to a safety in the second half. Mack lined up in various positions across the defensive front and embarrassed Denver’s offensive tackles in his best performance as a pro.

Latavius Murray: Stock Down

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Running back Latavius Murray continued to struggle with starting center Rodney Hudson returning to the lineup.

Aside from the first drive in the Kansas City Chiefs game, Murray’s production has taken a nosedive. He didn’t make decisive cuts and looked sluggish running laterally. 

During Monday's press conference, head coach Jack Del Rio talked about the concerted effort to stimulate the rushing offense to neutralize the Broncos pass rush. The lack of production allowed Denver to vigorously push the pocket.

In three of the last four games, Murray has averaged fewer than three yards per carry. He logged a 1.69 yards-per-carry average on Sunday.

Marquette King: Stock Up

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It’s a long overdue stock up for punter Marquette King. The Raiders signed another player with an iron leg, which forces the opposition to drive nearly the entire length of the field for a score.

On Sunday, King pinned five of 10 punts inside the 20-yard line. For Denver’s dink-and-dunk pass offense, it became tougher to reach field-goal range as the game progressed.

Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler averaged 6.04 yards per pass attempt, which methodically moved his offense down the field without much urgency. Oakland didn’t light up the scoreboard, but when punting back to Denver, Osweiler faced a steep challenge of his own.

For the season, King ranks No. 2 in punts inside the 20-yard line. His leg gives the defense some leeway and forces long drives, which presents nightmares for conservative-armed quarterbacks.

Amari Cooper: Stock Down

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We all saw Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib rough up rookie wideout Amari Cooper in the red zone on one particular play, with visual evidence provided by Deadspin's Twitter handle.

That’s one play.

Overall, the veteran cornerback shut down the Raiders’ leading receiver in yards. Cooper finished the game with zero catches.

Cooper also dropped two more passes and leads all wideouts in that category with 14 in total, per Pro Football Focus.

After a strong start, the rookie’s production has tapered off. He’s failed to reach the end zone since Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that span, he only eclipsed 80 receiving yards in one contest.

It’s not the time to panic over rookie struggles, but Oakland will need Cooper’s production to end the season on a high note.

Jon Condo: Stock Up

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Long snapper Jon Condo swung momentum in Oakland’s favor, recovering a muffed punt inside Denver’s 20-yard line.

Four plays later, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave dialed up a fake screen pass to Cooper, which allowed quarterback Derek Carr to throw a touchdown pass to a wide-open Rivera.

Casual NFL fans often forget long snappers exist, let alone celebrate them in crucial moments in the game.

Condo’s fumble recovery changed the completion of the contest. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder on the same play, which ultimately cost him the remainder of the season.

The Raiders placed Condo on injured reserve and signed eight-year veteran long snapper Thomas Gafford, per the team’s official website.

As an experienced long snapper, Gafford may fill in admirably under short notice, but Condo’s absence disrupts continuity within the Raiders special teams unit.

Gafford’s performance could split the difference between winning by a field goal and losing due to a botched snap.

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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted.