The first-year player out of Cincinnati, Tre Tucker, made his NFL debut as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and it was almost electric. The Raiders were throttled by one of the best teams in the AFC, as the Bills dominated every facet of the game in a 38-10 win in Orchard Park.
Tre Tucker delivers a “mixed bag” in the Raiders’ Week 2 loss at the hands of Buffalo
Tucker’s performance was, again, mixed as he displayed his exciting skillset in the run game and on a long pass play downfield. The rookie pass catcher has shown enough promise that he deserves more opportunities in the struggling Vegas offense.
In a play that would have made Al Davis proud, Tucker unleashed his lightning speed with a 34-yard jet sweep, injecting early momentum into the Raiders opening drive. He showcased agility and speed once again while managing to break free from the Bills defense and catch a long throw from Jimmy Garoppolo. Unfortunately, the pass ultimately went down as an incompletion, and the replay clearly showed Tucker stepping out of bounds during the grab.
It is worth mentioning that Tucker’s impressive 34-yard sprint ranks as one of the longest initial career rushing attempts by a Raider since 1991, with only Jalen Richard (75) and Johnny Townsend (42) besting that mark.
Examining the Vegas offense…
The Josh McDaniels-led offense through two weeks has underachieved, ranking 29th in points per game scored (13.5), just ahead of their Week 3 opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers. And equally as damning, Vegas is ranked 28th overall in total offense.
When it comes to offensive yards, the Silver and Black rank 30th with 250.5 yards a game. Only Pittsburgh and Cincinnati trail the Raiders in that category.
With Garoppolo keying in on just two receivers vs. the Bills—Adams and Jacobs—his early connection with Tucker might be worth exploiting. There seems to be synergy developing between the two, which could provide a much-needed spark for the Raiders offense.
While Tre Tucker is a work-in-progress, it may be time for the coaching staff to accelerate his development. There is no better time to find out what he brings to the table than against a Steelers defense decimated by injury. Here’s to hoping we see some more responsibilities added to Tucker’s plate in Week 3.
*Top Photo: Fan Nation/Raiders Today