Sure, the Las Vegas Raiders came out on top in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. At the same time, it was as close to an ugly victory as you can get in the NFL. Among the struggles for the Silver and Black was third-year defensive back Trevon Moehrig.
Have Raiders fans had enough of Trevon Moehrig after just one game?
Raider Nation isn’t known for its patience; it never has been. However, in terms of Moehrig’s development, they’ve been as patient as one can hope for. The change in defensive coordinators and overall scheme last offseason clearly hindered whatever progress he was making. Coming into Year 2 under Patrick Graham, the natural expectation was that No. 25 would finally blossom. Now that we’ve had more than 24 hours to process Sunday’s proceedings, it’s still a mixed bag.
To his credit, Moehrig displayed some versatility against the Broncos’ offense. He recorded 34 snaps at free safety, 19 in the box, and five in the slot. The problem is that if you’re getting burned in coverage, being versatile is a moot point. He surrendered a 138.5 QBR to Russell Wilson, as the Broncos’ signal caller was perfect against him, going four for four and recording a touchdown. His coverage grade of 60.4 by the good folks at Pro Football Focus sums up Moehrig’s night in coverage.
As you can imagine, Raider Nation wasn’t having it.
Moehrig is bad and I really thought we got a steal when we drafted him.
— Brent Morris (@Averysdaddy84) September 10, 2023
For all the guff I gave #Raiders safety Trevon Moehrig, he did make the key stop on 3rd-and-11 in the fourth quarter/#Broncos final possession — with one hand. He tackled a much bigger tight end to prevent a first down. #RaiderNation
— Ray Leonard Aspuria (@AsukalAspuria) September 11, 2023
Moehrig sucking, sucks he’s one guy I was happy we drafted.
— raidermattoconnel (@notaguyfromsac) September 10, 2023
Live look at Raiders DB Trevon Moehrig pic.twitter.com/qjiOd8KYnq
— RaiderRamble.com™ (@TheRaiderRamble) September 10, 2023
Trevon Moehrig had a saving grace—the Raiders’ run defense…
As our own Ray Aspuria noted, Moehrig did have a big tackle to prevent a first down when it mattered. The key stop contributed to the team edging out the Broncos in Week 1. As a whole, the Raiders’ run defense was highly impressive. In fact, Moehrig, along with Jakorian Bennett and Maxx Crosby, each recorded three stops. According to PFF, No. 25 showcased a noteworthy 83.8 tackling grade.
The question moving forward is whether making a stop here and there is enough for Raiders fans. As the saying goes, winning cures all, but what happens when the winning stops? Visiting the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 might end up being the final straw if Josh Allen picks apart Las Vegas’ secondary.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
