Heading into their bye week, the Las Vegas Raiders must be feeling great after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead for the first time since 2012! Moreover, quarterback Derek Carr finally got the monkey off his back!
This Raiders Offense is Elite
With right tackle Trent Brown and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III back in action, we got to see what this offense can be when running on all cylinders. Boy oh boy, did the Silver and Black put on a show. A rough interception aside, Carr was dealing against the Chiefs. Ruggs and wide receiver Nelson Agholor torched the Chiefs secondary all day.
Running back Josh Jacobs was solid and tight end Darren Waller had a couple of nice plays. The complementary pieces of the offense also made a litany of big plays. The Silver and Black did the impossible and won a shootout with Kansas City. It’s time people start talking about this offense as one of the best in the league.
Related:Â LB Nick Kwiatkoski Helped Raiders Win With Outstanding Performance
The Defense Looked… Better?
The Raiders gave up 32 points so it’s hard to say the defense was good. However, it played well enough for the win, and there were several bright spots. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther coached as if his job was on the line (maybe it was) and put together a solid game plan.
The defense’s physical press coverage disrupted the Chiefs receivers. That, coupled with a tenacious pass rush, kept Mahomes out of rhythm. Even in the first half where the Raiders did give up 24 points, the Chiefs did not look unstoppable. Even though this week makes five in a row of 30+ points allowed, there are signs of improvement.
Ruggs is The Answer
The Raiders are 3-0 with the rookie wideout, and 0-2 without him. This is not a coincidence. He adds an explosive element to the offense that is desperately needed. This is still Jon Gruden’s classic methodical offensive scheme, make no mistake about it.
But, this system works a lot better when you have the ability to stretch the field. Just by being out there and catching a couple of deep passes each game, Ruggs makes the entire offense better. Moving forward, he should keep playing a key role in the Raiders offense.
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Top photo: Jeff Robertson/AP