Following a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders bounced back with a dominating 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on “Thursday Night Football.” However, who were the standouts in the win? Well, Pro Football Focus has us covered.
When a team scores 63 points, it’s easy to say everyone had a good contest. Nonetheless, PFF dug deeper to provide their grades for the best players who stood out in the victory.
Who were the five best Raiders in the win over the Chargers?
The outlet listed the five highest-graded Raiders, and the player who received the best grade was cornerback Jack Jones (94.2). The 25-year-old had a pick-six to go along with one pass defended and five tackles. Jones wasn’t the only player with a PFF grade of 90 or higher.
Malcolm Koonce is at No. 2 in PFF’s grade ranking (91.6) for the win over Los Angeles. The 25-year-old had two sacks, two forced fumbles, three tackles, and three QB hits. As a result, it is no surprise that he earned the second-highest grade in the game for the Raiders.
Highest-graded Raiders players vs. the Chargers:
Jack Jones – 94.2
Malcolm Koonce – 91.6
Maxx Crosby – 90.7
Marcus Epps – 89.8
Davante Adams – 86.2— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) December 15, 2023
The next Raider with a PFF grade of 90 or higher is Maxx Crosby (90.7), who didn’t have a sack but made his presence known. Crosby had four tackles, one tackle for a loss, and two QB hits as he played the co-star to Koonce’s big night. Nonetheless, the defensive names don’t stop there.
Even though Marcus Epps didn’t have a PFF grade of 90 or higher, he was the fourth defensive player with the highest mark in the game (89.8). Epps had one pass defended, a tackle, and a forced football in the matchup. Finally, at No. 5, there’s an offensive player entering the highest-graded players from that win over the Chargers.
Davante Adams had a PFF grade of 86.2, as the Raiders’ star receiver had eight receptions off of 12 targets for 101 receiving yards and one touchdown. Adams wasn’t the only receiver benefiting from Aidan O’Connell’s performance in Las Vegas’ offensive explosion.
Honorable mention: Is Tre Tucker finding his confidence?
Although not listed in the five highest grades from PFF in the win over Los Angeles, rookie receiver Tre Tucker’s performance will undoubtedly boost his confidence and build momentum for next season.
The outlet noted that the 22-year-old had a 156.3 passer rating when targeted, resulting in 4.54 yards per route run and two touchdowns. Overall, Tucker registered 59 receiving yards with three receptions off of four targets.
If Tucker can show these signs of being that viable third option behind Adams and Jakobi Meyers, then the Silver and Black might have struck gold with their third-round selection this year.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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