The Las Vegas Raiders gave their fans a heart attack this week. They took an 0-11 New York Jets team to the wire and pulled out a 31-28 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was an ugly game for the Raiders on both sides, but a win is a win in the NFL.
The offense was up and down for most of the ball game. It was a tale of two halves with the Raiders dominating the Jets in the first half, basically moving the football at will through the air. In the second half, Gruden got conservative and attempted to run the football to no avail.
The Raiders were shut down consistently with three and outs and allowed the Jets to get back into the game with a turnover. They still finished with 5.9 yards per play, but it was not a consistent performance against a lesser opponent.
The defense was terrible for most of the game, allowing the 26th ranked rushing attack to run for 206 yards. They were constantly beat outside, and that has been an Achilles heel for the Raiders this season. Allowing 28 points to a Jets team who averages 13 points per game is inexcusable at this point. Raiders have to play better defenses if they actually expect to be a playoff team.
Who were the winners and losers in Week 13? Let’s take a look.
Winner: TE Darren Waller
Darren Waller has been great all season, but his 8.5 yards per catch have kept him from breaking out. That all changed Sunday with Waller having the best game of his career. The Jets had no answer for him all game, and he dominated from the first snap.
Waller finished the game with 13 receptions for 200 yards on his 17 targets. He added two touchdowns, with his second one being as impressive of a play you will see from a tight end. The Jets refused to cover him in the first half, playing man to man and getting toasted on every snap. He is the fourth tight end in NFL history to have 200 yards receiving, which makes a historic day for Waller.
The former Georgia Tech receiver is one of the top three tight ends in the NFL and has solidified his position this season. He is the Raiders’ best weapon in the passing game, and they have to lean on him while they make this push towards the playoffs. However, other teams will probably double team him.
Winner: DE Clelin Ferrell
Clelin Ferrell made his first appearance in two games after coming down with Covid-19. Fans have been hard on him all season, especially because he did not have a sack going into Sunday. That all changed with Ferrell putting together his best performance of the season.
Ferrell created huge plays, getting his first two sacks of the season on the day. He created two turnovers, with both sacks coming from the strip variety. A good surprise from today was Ferrell displaying his ability to bend around the corner. We didn’t see that on tape before, but this game, Ferrell showed up and bent around the corner like a good pass rusher.
While he was bad on a few of the run plays, he also set the edge where linebackers were expected to fill their fits. The performance should give Ferrell more confidence going forward, and hopefully, we see more of that bend to finish this season.
Winner: Trayvon Mullen
Another week with Mullen making the winners list, adding a third straight good outing. Mullen is the best player in this secondary and is coming into his own during the last few weeks. This just added another dot on the resume with a great performance against the Jets.
Mullen did well outside in man to man against the Jets receiving corps. He stole the ball away from the receiver on his second interception of the season, which was a massive play for the Raiders. Also, he had a pass deflection as well, adding more to his season total.
The Raiders have missed on a few draft picks the past couple of years, but Mullen is not one of them. He is already a solid cornerback in this league and is about a year away from becoming a great corner if he continues to evolve.
Loser: DC Paul Guenther
Guenther might be the most hated man in Raider nation, and it is for a good reason. The defense has been consistently one of the worst in the league for three straight seasons, and there doesn’t seem like a light at the end of the tunnel. Sunday afternoon was just one more reminder for all Raiders fans.
The Raiders gave up 206 yards rushing on basically the same play. They kept running the ball to the outside, and there was no adjustment at all from the Raiders’ defense. The 96-yard drive when the Raiders were up 11 was embarrassing, especially against one of the worst offenses in the league.
Guenther can’t be the defensive coordinator in 2021, no matter the circumstance or how this team finishes. It’s time for a change; this type of performance can not be acceptable. The Raiders need a coordinator who unleashes the talent that has been acquired for this defense to play better than previous years.
Loser: LB Nicholas Morrow
A player who has been playing well the past couple of weeks is Nicholas Morrow. Sunday was a different day for the Raiders linebacker and was picked on in the run game. It was a rough game for Morrow overall.
Morrow was constantly out of position on most of the run plays as the Jets kept running to his side. There was a time when we could clean up outside, but either couldn’t get off a block or be late to get over. Morrow’s specialty this season has been against the pass, and he has exposed a linebacker in the run game.
Morrow did have a sack on the day and has been a better Blitzer this season. His growth this year should be acknowledged, but this just was not one of those games. The expectation should be a bounce-back by next week, or teams will continue to go at him down the stretch.
