After a legendary meltdown in the Las Vegas Raiders’ home opener, it’s hard to see the positives. However, if you look in the right places, you can see silver linings in the second-half attacking collapse. The problem is that you have to go in with a magnifying glass to find those silver linings. And, while Pro Football Focus isn’t the ultimate solution, it’s still a useful metric for further examination of the game, so we’ll take a look at the top five positives according to PFF and see what we can find. .
Raiders News: Who did better for Silver and Black?
Josh Jacobs, AR: 77.9
Jacobs had the highest-rated week for the Raiders. There are a few disappointing parts about this rating, however. First, the rating didn’t even go above 80, so what does that say about the rest of the offense? Second, Jacobs only touched the ball three times in the fourth quarter. Jacobs seems to have run hard and done something for nothing more often than he should have in two games. Josh McDaniels must stick to his plan to feed Jacobs in the coming weeks if they are to turn around.
Kolton Miller, LT: 71.5
Seeing Miller here is a feast for the eyes. After an abysmal rating of 58.7 in week 1, it’s quite a turnaround. And no, he didn’t face Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack in Week 2, but it’s still good to see the rating improve. Seeing how the O line will be the Achilles heel of this offense, it’s essential that their anchor works to see progress across the board. And God knows they need to see improvements.
How did the Raiders tight ends fare in Week 2?
Darren Waller, SD: 69.3
You see, this is where my problems with PFF really start; with notes like this for Waller. Yeah, he didn’t put up a crazy stat line, but he seemed to be on target at every major moment of the game. On third down, the end zone, safety cover, whatever, Waller was there for Derek Carr. I’m not entirely sure what PFF was seeing here, but if it was worth a 69.3, I hope No. 83 gets a 69.3 every week. Fix your grading system already.
Foster Moreau, SD: 68.2
See above because tight ends appeared to be “on the march” on Sunday. I guess a stat line of three receptions for 30 yards isn’t impressive. But even more than Waller, Moreau laid down key blocks throughout the match. And although a screen in his own way exploded, it should not go against him. At least based on his strengths, Moreau seemed to be playing a good game. He’s not the better stealer Waller is, but at the line of scrimmage, Moreau seemed to be playing higher than his rating indicated.
The weakest link?
John Simpson, LO: 67.9
A similar situation to Miller above, after receiving the worst PFF rating among Raiders offensive linemen in Game 1, Simpson saw a 17.6 point jump in his rating. Unlike Week 1, you haven’t heard much of Simpson’s name. Which, for an offensive lineman, is a good thing. So seeing the steps of two linemen is a major positive sign for the Raiders. Maybe they’re not as badly off as Raider Nation thought?
Improvements to the offensive line and running back positions are positive for silver and black. Four of the highest ranked players have their hands in the dirt to start a game (traditionally). Continuous improvement there will lead to improvement elsewhere, and for the sake of Raider Nation, that improvement must continue.
*Top photo: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
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