In spite of losing against the New England Patriots, the Las Vegas Raiders had some bright spots in their Week 3 matchup, including cornerback Trayvon Mullen.
After much hype and hope that Raiders head coach Jon Gruden would avenge the “Tuck Rule,” the team fell flat. There’s a myriad of reasons why this happened and there’s plenty of blame to go around within the team. Not everything was bad though, as there were some excellent performances by the Silver and Black. In particular, sophomore corner Trayvon Mullen had a noteworthy performance.
Trayvon Mullen got these Patriots receivers on clamps 🥶
— Johhny Lamb 👠(@jdobbins_97) September 27, 2020
Recently, Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus did his weekly round-up where he names his offensive and defensive teams of the week. He chose Mullen as the FLEX of the defensive squad for his performance versus the Patriots. No other Raiders players warranted a mention by Treash this week.
Related: Three Knee Jerk Reactions After Embarrassing Week 3 Loss
The Raiders May Have Their Lockdown Corner
As far as the numbers go, Mullen had three passes defensed, one tackle for a loss, and two solo tackles against New England. Even more impressive, prior to Sunday’s game, Mullen had only been targeted seven times while giving up five completions. Those five completions only amounted to 36 receiving yards.
So far, PFF has given Mullen a 73.4 grade for his coverage in 2020. That’s really impressive all things considered, he’s living up to the promise shown last season when he took over the starting cornerback job. While the Patriots presented a challenge, this Sunday it won’t get easier against the 3-0 Buffalo Bills. Mullen and his fellow corners will be facing a wide receiver group made up of Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, and John Brown. For now, Mullen is living up to his end of the deal on this Raiders defense.
You May Also Like: Down to Earth For Raiders In Week 3 Motley Review
*Top Photo: Las Vegas Raiders Official YouTube Channel