Sunday’s victory over the Denver Broncos is a prime example of stats being deceiving. While the Las Vegas Raiders would give up over 400 yards in total offense, they would turn in one of their best performances of the year as a unit. The beauty of that is the number of injuries Las Vegas is dealing with on that side of the ball. This showing could be just the beginning for Gus Bradley and Co.
Defensive Grades For Week 6
The defensive line shines once again
Defensive end Maxx Crosby kicked off the season with a two-sack performance against the Baltimore Ravens but despite leading the league in pressures, had yet to register another sack. That changed Sunday against the Broncos. Crosby would tally 3.5 sacks by himself, and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson would add one of his own. Solomon Thomas continued his stellar play with a forced fumble on Teddy Bridgewater. Although he didn’t register a sack, recently signed defensive tackle Damion Square was disruptive on passing downs. You can’t ask for much more from your line than what they provided in Denver.
Grade: A
The linebackers remained steady for the Raiders…Â
Stop throwing dirt on Cory Littleton.Â
The much-maligned linebacker finished Sunday’s contest with 11 tackles and quality pass coverage throughout the game. Not to be outdone, Denzel Perryman matched Littleton’s 11 tackles, though his pass coverage left a bit to be desired. Overall, you didn’t find yourself wondering how fill in the blank got loose in coverage. And there was only one real chunk play on the ground of note. With Johnathan Hankins out with a hip injury, the linebackers had to step up even more so to fill the gaps.Â
Grade: B
The Raiders secondary got punched early, but fought back
Admittedly, I am a fan of Amik Robertson. So you can imagine how much watching him play poorly hurt my soul. The Broncos picked on Robertson early and often in the pass, and the second-year corner missed multiple tackles in the open field. I still believe Robertson can develop into a solid slot corner, but his lack of height will make him a non-starter as an outside option.Â
However, Brandon Facyson was inserted into the game and immediately made an impact with an interception on his first drive. Casey Hayward was beat on a few occasions but Two Glove Teddy couldn’t deliver a catchable ball. Outside of that, the secondary as a whole was amazing. Johnathan Abram came away with an interception and Tre’von Moehrig would do the same. Bridgewater finished with 300+ yards passing, but most of that was in garbage time with the game out of reach.
Grade: AÂ
*Top Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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