Another week and another way that the Las Vegas Raiders find a way to lose a ball game.
The Week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars was especially gut-wrenching, as the Raiders managed to take the game to overtime before a failed two-point conversion resulted in a one-point defeat. On the bright side, Las Vegas’ offense showed life with arguably its best performance of the season, providing some optimism in this week’s winners and losers.
WINNER: Brock Bowers
Battling a knee injury since the season opener, there was a lot of chatter about Bowers’ lack of production in year two. However, after getting healthy during the bye week, he announced to the league that he’s back by hauling in 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns. That was the first multi-touchdown performance of the 2024 first-round pick’s career, and the second-most yards he’s had in a single game.
Related
It’s no secret that the Raiders’ offense missed its best weapon, and it’s no coincidence that the unit scored the most points it has in a single game this season (29) with Bowers back to 100 percent and in the lineup.
LOESR: Daniel Carlson
The game got off to a bad start for Carlson, whose opening kickoff fell short of the Landing Zone and resulted in a penalty that gave Jacksonville the ball on the 40-yard line. Luckily, that ended up having minimal impact on the final score as the Jaguars punted on the ensuing possession. However, Carlson’s missed PAT was the difference between the Raiders winning the game in regulation and going to overtime, where they fell one point short.
Also, it doesn’t help that the kicker on the other sideline nailed the longest field goal in league history. That rubbed salt in Raider Nation’s wounds as the kicking game played a significant factor in which team won and which team lost the contest.
WINNER: Adam Butler
Jacksonville had a hard time blocking Butler, as it felt like he was constantly in their backfield. The defensive tackle had an impressive showing against the run by recording two tackles for loss and another for a short gain, recording three defensive stops, according to Pro Football Focus. The latter is tied for third at the position (pre-Monday Night Football), and Butler posted an impressive 1.0-yard average depth of tackle as a run defender on the afternoon.
LOSER: Elandon Roberts
Despite Butler’s efforts, Las Vegas gave up 151 yards on the ground. Jacksonville had success running the ball up the middle, and Roberts was one of the biggest culprits with the second-lowest PFF run-defense grade on the team (34.3). What’s frustrating is that this is why he was brought in during the offseason, and he ended up being part of the problem instead of the solution on Sunday.
Despite recording a team-high 16 tackles, fellow linebacker Devin White could also be listed here. White was the only defender to record a lower mark against the run than Roberts, posting an ugly 32.9 grade.
WINNER: Raheem Mostert
While Mostert didn’t get much action offensively, just six snaps, he did record a 14-yard catch for a first down and had a very impressive showing as a kick returner. The veteran returned five kicks for 202 yards and 40.4 yards per return, allowing the Raiders to start in the Jaguars’ territory twice. One of those returns set up a field goal and helped Las Vegas retake the lead in the third quarter, while the other was in overtime and led to a touchdown to give the team a chance to win the game.
LOSER: Tackling
Part of the reason that the Silver and Black struggled to stop the run is that the defense had 15 missed tackles, per PFF. Several players could be listed here, but safety Isaiah Pola-Mao and defensive end Maxx Crosby led the team with three each. This has been an issue that has mounted over the last few games, and is even more significant given the “bend but don’t break” style of defense the Raiders play.
Additionally, the team had three more missed tackles on special teams. Clearly, this is an issue that the coaching staff needs to get under control.
See More:
