Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell is off to a good start in 2020 after a polarizing rookie campaign.Â
Ferell, a player that fans are keeping tabs on this season, had a strong showing against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Playing in 52 defensive snaps, Ferrell had a pass defense while assisting in three tackles last Sunday. The former number four overall pick still has a long way to justify his draft status but there are signs of encouragement.
While the Raiders pass rush didn’t have its best game versus the Panthers, it did enough to help win the game. Also, the run defense did a decent job of minimizing running back Christian McCaffrey’s impact even though he still managed to score a touchdown. Big picture, Ferrell recognized last week that the defense still needs work but thankfully the Raiders offense did its job on Sunday.
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Ferrell Led The Way For Raiders
According to Pro Football Focus, Ferrell led the way for his team this past Sunday with an overall 73.8 grade. Not exactly an eye-popping number but Ferrell’s impact inside was key for the Raiders.
Clelin Ferrell’s 73.8 grade on Sunday led all #Raiders defensive players ☠ï¸#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/dTcBXE4DD9
— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) September 18, 2020
Ferrell graded at 73.2 for his run defense, which in turn, is what eventually helped lead the team to victory. The Panthers were going to go as far as McCaffrey was going to take them, so the Raiders run defense held it together. However, as is the case with Ferrell, fans want sacks from the first-round pick. His pass-rush grade of 63.7 was insignificant in Week 1, moving forward, this will have to get better. This is especially true as the Silver and Black prepare to face a string of upper-echelon quarterbacks.
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*Top Photo: Cary Edmondson/USA Today Sports
