Winners and Losers of Oakland Raiders' Week 3 Performance
Sometimes, you have to eat a big piece of humble pie to refocus your hunger for excellence. It's a reality for the Oakland Raiders after a 27-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on the Sunday Night Football stage.
The Silver and Black registered just 128 offensive yards in an abysmal performance on the road at FedEx Field. The contest started off on the wrong foot with an interception on the first pass play to wideout Amari Cooper.
From there, the mistakes on offense and the Redskins' stifling front seven contributed to a one-sided rout.
The Raiders possessed the football for 21 minutes and 54 seconds, a little more than a third of the contest. Nonetheless, Washington's two turnovers kept Oakland in the game through three quarters, but Derek Carr and company didn't take full advantage late in the game.
Oakland's offense looked the exact opposite of what most saw during the first two weeks. Carr made poor decisions with the football. The offensive line struggled to protect the pocket and clear running lanes.
After film study, the Raiders must shake off a poor showing, learn from their mistakes and prepare for the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
Before moving forward, we'll highlight the Week 3 winners and losers.
Loser: QB, Derek Carr
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Raiders fans watched the game and probably thought, "this isn't my Carr" as the 26-year-old signal-caller underthrew, overthrew and placed passes in poor spots for his receivers.
Skeptics and conspiracy theorists have asked whether Carr's decision to stand and pray during the national anthem factored into his subpar performance. While he's known for jittery starts to big games, the players discussed pregame plans well before kickoff, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The signal-caller's stance probably didn't shock anyone.
We should credit Washington safety Montae Nicholson and cornerback Kendall Fuller for making plays on the ball in coverage. Even though Carr completed 61 percent of his passes, he often led his receivers into traffic, which resulted in big hits and little space to accumulate yards after the catch.
As a leader should, Carr took full responsibility for his poor play in the postgame press conference.
Winner: EDGE, Khalil Mack
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Oakland's inability to sustain offensive drives put the defense in a bind. Washington's offense held possession for nearly two-thirds of the game. It's surprising the Raiders didn't allow more than 27 points.
Despite all that went wrong, edge-rusher Khalil Mack continued to pose a threat off the edge as a pass-rusher and run defender. He sacked quarterback Kirk Cousins in the second quarter to remind everyone about his status as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Redskins tight ends and offensive linemen battled with Mack all night, doing just enough to keep him away from Cousins for the most part. Though, it's nearly impossible to keep the two-time Pro Bowler at bay.
Mack attracted enough attention to open opportunities his teammates didn't fully capitalize on through the game. Yet, he still managed to disrupt the Redskins' ground attack with seven stops, per Pro Football Focus.
Loser: WR, Amari Cooper
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Cooper dropped his sixth pass for the season and finished the game with just one catch despite five targets.
All the muscle Cooper packed on during the offseason hasn't improved his ability to reel in easy passes. Carr will say all the correct things to the media about his AC-DC partner, but you have to wonder about the receiver's hands in critical moments.
Cooper's catch rate dropped to 43.5 percent—an unacceptable quotient for a starting wideout with his talent. His drops indicate why the offense needs Michael Crabtree's reliable hands on the opposite side. Raiders fans can also appreciate the emergence of other pass-catchers in the huddle.
In order for the Raiders offense to reach its maximum potential, Cooper must perform at his best. He draws extra coverage, runs sharp routes and possesses the speed to rack up yards after the catch. However, he needs to hold on to the ball.
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Winner: TE, Jared Cook
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Tight end Jared Cook finished as the Raiders' top pass-catcher in Week 3. He extended a reception down the sideline and finished with a stretch over the pylon for the team's lone touchdown.
Thus far, Cook ranks second in targets (17), and he's tied with Crabtree for the most receptions (13). At this point, the 30-year-old is a more reliable option than Cooper in the passing attack, which says more about the newcomer's play than the wideout's drop issues.
As Carr continues to embrace a new offensive weapon in Cook, the field should open up for the receivers and running backs out of the backfield. The decision to add the former Green Bay Packer doesn't seem like a luxury anymore, it's a necessity to elevate the passing attack.
Expect Cook's targets to increase Sunday against the Broncos who field top-tier cornerbacks on the perimeter.
Loser: OG, Kelechi Osemele
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It's rare to see offensive guard Kelechi Osemele in this category, but he surrendered two sacks, albeit one occurred on a snap that surprised Carr on the play. In addition to allowing penetration, the Raiders ground attack didn't look as physical with a strong push up front.
It's no secret the Raiders running backs have found success when they follow Osemele's lead on the run. According to Football Outsiders, ball-carriers average 4.4 yards per carry rushing toward the mid-guard area.
The Redskins defensive line didn't leave room to run on Sunday. Raiders fans have become accustomed to Osemele driving defenders backward to create space. Instead, he needed to help Carr off the ground or watched a run play go for a short gain.
In 2016, Osemele set the bar high when he didn't allow a single sack. With two already on this year's resume, he's probably going to take out his frustrations on the Broncos in Week 4.
Winner: LB, Cory James
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Cory James has cemented his spot as a consistent every-down inside linebacker within the front seven. After starting five games during his rookie campaign, he's shown significant progress over the past few months.
The 24-year-old put his helmet on the ball to cause a fumble early in the fourth quarter deep in Redskins territory. The turnover provided a small opportunity for a late comeback, but the offense settled for a field goal as opposed to scoring a touchdown.
The second-year linebacker finished with six solo tackles and six stops against the Redskins.
As Marquel Lee, Nicholas Morrow and Tyrell Adams alternate snaps at linebacker, James provides stability with the skill set to chase down ball-carriers and drop into coverage. He allowed three receptions for seven yards on 27 snaps in pass defense on Sunday.
Loser: Coaching Staff
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Redskins running back Chris Thompson channeled LaDainian Tomlinson against the Raiders with his best performance as a pro. He racked up 188 yards from scrimmage and dealt most of the damage as a receiver from the backfield.
Thompson converted seven pass targets into six receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown. He scored on Washington's first drive due to a miscommunication on a blitz that left him open for a walk-in score.
After Thompson found the end zone, he gave the Raiders nightmares as a receiver in the open field. The coaching staff didn't seem to prepare the defense for the running back's pass-catching skills or adjust to his first-half production.
Defensive assistants Ken Norton Jr. and John Pagano didn't have an answer for Thompson through four quarters and paid for the cost of every reception and carry.
Winner: Marquette King
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Say what you want about his off-field antics, but Marquette King pinned four punts inside the Redskins' 20-yard line. He averaged 52.7 yards per kick and booted a 61-yarder.
In most cases, King's strong leg didn't allow the opponent to start with good field position. Though they're overlooked, it's important to have an accurate punter who can force offenses to drive down the length of the field.
If not for pinpoint punts and longer distances for touchdowns, Washington may have put a comeback attempt out of reach in the third quarter.
Of course, when a punter makes the list as a top asset, it's likely because the offense and defense faltered on game day. Specifically, on the offensive end, the Raiders put their worst on film. Nonetheless, there's no time for sulking, the unit faces another tough challenge ahead in Denver.
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