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Raiders week two report card vs Broncos Often times in sports it’s not how you start but how you finish.If any of you have spent time in a football locker room you will hear things from the coach like Justin Ellis Jersey , “We need to compete for 60 minutes,” or “Let’s finish.”Yesterday on the road in Denver, the Oakland Raiders had the opportunity to close the door on a Broncos comeback attempt but were unsuccessful.The Raiders now fall to 0-2 and find themselves in the basement of the AFC West division.Let’s look at the Raiders report card for week two.Aerial Attack: AWhat a difference a week makes for Derek Carr.After getting the brunt of the blame for a poor offensive effort in the second half in week one, Derek Carr was nearly perfect against the Broncos.Carr finished the game a ridiculous 29 of 32, for 288 yards and one touchdown.This was the first time in NFL history a quarterback completed at least 90% of his passes in a game with 30+ attempts.Carr made a concerted effort to get Amari Cooper more involved in the passing game and it paid major dividends.Cooper was active all day, catching all 10 of his targets for a team high 116 yards.Ground Game: BIt would have been nice to see the Raiders be able to get more out of the run game during the four minute offense late in the game.Doug Martin was stuffed on a crucial 2nd and 9, after Jared Cook’s false start penalty.The Raiders were not in an ideal down and distance on the following play, which enabled the Broncos to blitz and force the ball out of Carr’s hand early.This week’s game plan featured more of Doug Martin and less Jalen Richard.The combo carried nine times for 27 yards.Marshawn Lynch continues to run hard, earning every yard he gets.Lynch finished the game with a 3.6 yards per carry average and a touchdown.However, he did have two big gains called back by penalty.Offensive line: B+Once again I was very impressed with the offensive lines ability in pass protection.With the exception of one Von Miller sack, the bookend tackles performed very well against Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.The Raiders will need to become more consistent in the run game if they want to turn the season around.Sure they have faced two top defense in the league in back to back weeks but a 3.4 yards per average against the Broncos will not get it done.Defensive line: FThe performance put forth by the defensive line was putrid, especially in the second half.I suppose I should give them a pass for being without Justin Ellis and PJ Hall but the line was gashed for 168 yards on the ground.The line lacks talent and the Raiders were so desperate for bodies earlier in the week, they signed Johnathan Hankins, Clinton McDonald, and Brian Price.Outside of Maurice Hurst first career sack the Raiders applied absolutely no pressure on Case Keenum.The unit was completely gassed on the Broncos final drive.Linebackers: C+This group of linebackers is as vanilla as it gets.No player does anything on a week to week basis that grabs your attention.The positive take away from yesterday is the coverage skills of the linebackers.Broncos running backs only caught one pass.I’d like to see better support against the run and help a battered group of defensive lineman.Secondary: BThe secondary continues to be the strength of the defense Trent Brown Jersey , even though when the game was on the line they could not come up with a big play.Raashan Melvin picked up the first interception of the season. Gareon Conley continues to look the part of a shutdown cornerback with four pass break ups.The lack of a pass rush has not helped the Raiders secondary to this point.So far the secondary has been better than advertised.Special Teams: CJordy Nelson filled in for injured return man Dwayne Harris who was not active for the game.Nelson fielded one punt for seven yards.Johnny Townsend benefited from the altitude, blasting a 56 yard punt and increased his punting average by three yards compared to last week. But he also had a 40-yard punt that went to the Denver 36 and his final punt, in a crucial situation, went for a touchback and a 29-yard net.Mike Nugent was 2 for 2 in field goal attempts but it was a blocked extra point attempt that proved to be a pivotal moment in the games outcome.Overall Grade: C+Raiders vs. Chargers: 4 Winners, 4 Losers Today the Raiders were an abject disappointment to me and offensive on a personal level. I find it difficult to express in words how unenthusiastic I am about this team right now and how pessimistic I am for its future. The Raiders are awful and it is hard to believe they will ever do anything good again. Watching this team right now is like watching a video of someone ripping up a set of vintage baseball cards and then setting them on fire.WINNERS1) Melvin IngramWho needs Joey Bosa? Ingram proved to be a one-man wrecking crew on the defensive line. He racked up seven tackles including two for loss, a sack and an interception. He feasted onthe Raiders’ pair of rookie tackles and basically did whatever he wanted to do. If only the Raiders had a player like that.2) Daryl WorleyThe Raiders didn’t have a lot of bright spots today, but Worley was one of them. In his first game returning from suspension, Worley showed that the Raiders were wise to sign him this offseason. He had eight tackles, including one for loss, and he played both the run and pass well. The Raiders have plenty of veterans on one-year deals, but Worley is young enough and good enough to be a big part of what the Raiders do going forward.3) Melvin GordonThe second of the Charger’s dual Melvins, Gordon had a tremendous game overall. While he wasn’t dominant on the ground, rushing for only 58 yards, he added 62 yards through the air, and was deadly in the screen game. The Raiders had no answer for this Tyrell Williams Jersey , as Philip Rivers recognized the blitz and hit short passes over it consistently, and Gordon did the rest. The Raiders weren’t fooling anybody today.4) Philip RiversThe All-Father turned in an extremely efficient performance today, going 22/27 for 339 yards, two scores, no picks, and a rating of 143.4. The Raiders were able to pressure him but he always seemed to get out of it, taking only one sack. He made the right decision on nearly every throw and picked apart the Raiders’ defensive scheme.LOSERS1) Raiders offensive lineWe knew it would be tough with two rookie tackles and left guard Kelechi Osemele out with injury, but this was an atrocious performance from a unit that really needed to have a good game. Kolton Miller isn’t good enough yet to handle Melvin Ingram on his own, and without Osemele at his side he was pitiful. The Raiders had to abandon the run early, but even so, Marshawn Lynch still only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Derek Carr was sacked three times, losing 20 yards. A lot went wrong for the Raider offense and it starts here.2) Martavis BryantStatistically, Bryant had a fine game, catching three passes for 91 yards on three targets. But as usual, his hands were an issue as he had a key fumble Gareon Conley Jersey , turning what could have been a big gain for the Raiders into a Chargers possession that became a touchdown that put the game basically out of reach. If Bryant can ever put it together, he’ll be great, but until then he remains a liability.3) Bruce IrvinYou’d think that with both starting tackles out for the Chargers, Irvin would have a big game. That did not materialize as he only had one tackle and one sack. He also had a stupid, careless personal foul at the very end of the first half that nearly led to three more Charger points. Irvin is clearly frustrated and he’s letting it show, which is costing the team. He must put his pride and emotions aside and do better.4) Paul GuentherWhatever kind of game plan Guenther drew up for his unit this week, it didn’t work. The Chargers knew exactly what the Raiders were doing on defense and they exploited it. While the Raiders have played stout defense at times this season, big plays are killing them, and that’s a combination of a lack of speed and poor tackling, both of which were displayed by the Raiders today. The one good thing the Raiders did was defend the run effectively, but that never really makes a difference against the Chargers. This unit needs playmakers, and it just doesn’t have them yet.