While the Las Vegas Raiders lost their seventh consecutive game and 11th in their last 12 attempts during the Week 14 bout against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders should be focused on the future at this point in the season. So, despite the 2-11 club struggling to be competitive against a division rival, there is some room for optimism since Las Vegas’ rookies finally got extensive playing time on Sunday.
That leads to a slightly different tone for this week’s winners and losers.
WINNER: Jack Bech
Coming into this weekend, Bech hadn’t received more than 25 pass snaps in one game this season and had only logged 20 or more twice. But the coaching staff finally took the rookie’s training wheels off by having him on the field for 34 pass snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and he managed to lead the team with six catches for 50 yards.
To make matters even better, the second-round pick hauled in all six of his catchable targets, including one that was contested via a big hit from Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga. Also, 10 of Bech’s 16 receptions on the year have gone for a first down. He’s trending toward being one of the Raiders’ few bright spots this season, especially if he can continue this momentum and finish strong over the final four weeks.
LOSER: Jonah Laulu, Thomas Booker IV
Denver ran for 152 yards and nearly five yards per carry as a team, and seemingly got whatever they wanted when it came to pounding the rock up the middle of Las Vegas’ defense. That doesn’t bode well for the Silver and Black’s starting defensive tackles, as Jonah Laulu recorded the second-lowest PFF run defense grade (34.4) on the team, and Booker rounded out the unit with an ugly 30.1 mark.
Sunday was a not-so-subtle reminder that this defense clearly needs to bring in some interior defensive line help during the offseason.
WINNER: Caleb Rogers
Much like Bech, the Raiders finally let Rogers loose and the results speak for themselves. He was the team’s second-highest graded offensive lineman—trailing Dylan Parham by just 1.4 points, per PFF—and finished 16th among the league’s guards (pre-Monday Night Football) with a 74.7 mark for the week. Additionally, he pitched a shutout with zero pressures allowed on 38 opportunities, according to PFF.
Not bad for a guy who, apparently, wasn’t good enough to even dress just a few weeks ago.
LOSER: Stone Forsythe
To be fair, not much is expected from Forsythe. However, he’s surrendered 19 pressures (seven sacks) over the last four weeks, including five pressures (two sacks) against the Broncos. That’s on top of earning a sub-60 PFF run blocking grade in each of the last four games and a 53.8 mark in Week 14. If Kolton Miller isn’t healthy or is shut down for the rest of the year, it’s time to see what Charles Grant can do.
WINNER: Darien Porter
There was certainly some room for improvement in Porter’s performance versus Denver. He did miss a couple of tackles, gave up three catches for 34 yards and was flagged in coverage for the second week in a row. However, he eventually settled into the game and finished with a solid overall outing, recording a couple of pass breakups and a 67.4 passer rating when targeted, via PFF.
The Broncos had success picking on the rookie with their No. 1 receiver, Courtland Sutton, early in the game. But Sutton finished with just two catches for 23 yards on five targets with Porter in coverage. That should give the third-round pick some momentum heading into the next month.
LOSER: Devin White, Elandon Roberts
White has become a box score superstar, collecting a team-high 19 tackles on Sunday. However, the advanced numbers and film tell a different story, as opposing offenses continue to attack him in coverage. League-wide, the linebacker was the most-targeted player at the position this week, with Denver throwing at him 11 times and completing all 11 passes for 68 yards. Additionally, he missed three more tackles and was part of the defense’s issues when it came to stopping the run.
Meanwhile, Roberts was just as bad. He didn’t get as much playing time as White, 47 snaps to 74, but also didn’t prevent any completions with two targets for 19 yards. Additionally, Roberts led the team with four missed tackles at a 44.4 percent rate.
Offenses have been targeting the middle of the field against the Raiders all season because neither of their two starting linebackers is servicable in coverage, and White (22) and Roberts (17) currently have the second- and third-most missed tackles at the position, respectively.
WINNER: Tonka Hemingway
Hemingway only received 24 defensive snaps, but he did a good job of making them count. He recorded his first NFL sack and logged an additional pressure on another pass-rush opportunity. Considering the team is looking for answers on the defensive line, that should be enough for the South Carolina product to earn more playing time moving forward.
WINNER: Shedrick Jackson
On a similar note, Jackson only participated in two offensive snaps. However, he managed to secure his first NFL catch and touchdown via an impressive 25-yard grab on one of the two opportunities. It’s hard to beat that type of efficiency!
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