Power rankings roundup: Raiders getting some respect after big win in Baltimore

On the backs of Davante Adams and Brock Bowers, Las Vegas make a strong statement this week and people took notice.

In a week where several underdogs pulled through and won outright, the Las Vegas Raiders had arguably the biggest upset of Week 2 by beating the Baltimore Ravens. As expected, that earned the Raiders some respect in NFL power rankings as people took notice of the Silver and Black’s comeback effort.

Star wide receiver Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers combined for 18 catches, 208 yards and a touchdown which made those two the primary focus when analyzing Las Vegas’ performance.

The Athletic

22. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)

Last week: 24

Sunday: Beat Baltimore Ravens 26-23

Davante Adams had 86 receiving yards in the fourth quarter and rookie tight end Brock Bowers added 31 as the Raiders erased a 10-point deficit. Bowers finished with nine catches for 98 yards overall, and he’s now the first tight end in NFL history with at least five catches and 50 yards in his first two games. Worth watching: Pass rusher Maxx Crosby still hasn’t missed a defensive snap. He’s tied for fourth in the league with five quarterback hits.

The Athletic wasn’t as harsh on the Raiders as other sites were after their loss in the season opener, so the team only moved up two spots. But at least they’re out of the bottom quarter of the league. This analysis also points out something that was even more impressive about Adams’ and Bowers’ performance; most of their production came in crunch time when the team needed it most.

Bleacher Report

21. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)

Last Week: 26

“Can the Raiders finally get some respect around here? In comeback fashion, down 10 points in the fourth quarter, they knocked off a perennial playoff contender who had extra days to prepare for the game,” B/R’s Moe Moton said. “The Raiders showed little signs of offensive vitality for about two-and-half quarters, but rookie tight Brock Bowers carried the unit through periods of futility. Davante Adams helped out with clutch catches in the fourth quarter.

“Initially, head coach Antonio Pierce wanted the ground game to be the bread and butter of the offense, but clearly, it’s Adams and Bowers in the passing game. The Raiders’ subpar offensive line will put Minshew in tough spots, but if he has enough time to throw, Adams and Bowers can make big plays in crucial moments downfield.”

Las Vegas jumps up five spots here and inches closer to the middle of the pack. Moton points out that the offense will have to change its philosophy, which might not be what Pierce had in mind, but the numbers don’t lie and the head coach has admitted that the running game hasn’t been working. The offensive line is the biggest issue there but, hopefully, Jackson Powers-Johnson will be ready to go soon to help improve the unit.

NFL.com

26. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1, +4)

Through six quarters of the season, the Raiders had fewer than 350 yards of offense and a mere 16 points. Questions started swirling in my head about the decision to start Gardner Minshew over Aidan O’Connell. Then Minshew remembered where he was: Baltimore, where he pulled off a similarly wild upset a year ago with the Colts. With one big throw after another, Minshew found Davante Adams, Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, offsetting an anemic run game and taking advantage of the Ravens’ mistakes. The result was five productive second-half drives, only one of which ended without points, while the Raiders were able to keep Lamar Jackson under wraps and pull off the late stunner. What this ultimately says of Las Vegas’ potential, I’m not sure, but Antonio Pierce’s team mounted a stirring rally right when it most needed one.

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

NFL.com has consistently been lower on the Silver and Black than other outlets, so it’s not surprising to see the site still has the team lower on the totem pole. One interesting observation—and a lot of the fanbase was likely thinking as well—is that Minshew was looking like a questionable choice as the starting quarterback until the second half of the game. Then, he finally let it rip and caught fire. Hopefully, that builds some momentum so Minshew Mania can continue.

ESPN

21. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)

Week 2 ranking: 28

Most important backup/role player: RB Alexander Mattison

While Mattison has only 20 rushing yards on nine carries, including 1 yard on four attempts at Baltimore, he already has two touchdowns in 13 touches — a 31-yard catch, hurdle and run at the Chargers and a 1-yard plunge at the Ravens. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ rookie starter, Zamir White, has 68 rushing yards on 22 carries and 5 passing yards on six catches without a score. — Paul Gutierrez

This is the biggest swing for Las Vegas as the team climbed up seven spots. There is a slight change of pace here as ESPN’s analysis focused on role players. Mattison has been solid so far, scoring a touchdown in both of the Raiders’ games to lead the team with two. Granted, Adams is the only other player to find the endzone. One correction to the stats above, White has five catches on six targets for 16 yards, not five yards on six catches.

Yahoo! Sports

20. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1, +5)

The interaction between Maxx Crosby and Gardner Minshew II, with Crosby having a pointed and clearly encouraging conversation with the quarterback after an interception, said a lot about Crosby and his leadership. He’s a fantastic defensive end but the Raiders might not pull off a massive win without him keeping his quarterback’s confidence up. It was a telling moment.

In addition to the six total tackles, two sacks, four TFL and one batted pass, Crosby showed some leadership in his interaction with Minshew after the quarterback’s pick. Minshew responded well to the conversation (see video below), which likely helped give him the confidence to lead the comeback effort in the second half.