Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 3 vs Titans

It was another partial game for the Raiders. And once again, their portion was not quite as successful as the opponent’s and they fell short in the end, falling to 0-3 on the season.

This one was similar to the season-opening loss to the Chargers where the Raiders dug themselves a hole they were unable to dig themselves out of.

This hole was a 24-10 deficit at the half. After giving up touchdowns on the first three possessions, they would hold the Titans scoreless in the second half. But the Raiders’ comeback attempt ended with a failed two-point conversion in the final seconds.

Ballers

WR Mack Hollins

It was the heroics of Hollins that gave the Raiders a chance late. Well, technically they started on the first drive, when he had a 20-yard catch on third and 15. The Raiders were able to get a field goal on the drive.

In the third quarter, he showed up on special teams when he kept an AJ Cole punt from bounding into the end zone and then fell on it at the one. Even with a 30-yard completion on the drive, the Titans still didn’t make it to scoring position on the drive.

His heroics continued with six minutes left in the game. Derek Carr threw for Hollins along the left sideline. Hollins made the catch, broke several tackles and took it for 60 yards. The Raiders got a field goal out of it to pull within eight points.

With three minutes left in the game, the Raiders would get the ball back. They quickly found themselves in fourth-and-ten and Carr again looked for his favorite target on the day. He threw it deep for Hollins, but he was turned inside and the pass sailed outside. Hollins tracked it down, twisting to adjust to the outside shoulder and made a ridiculous over-the-shoulder grab for 48 yards. It was an extremely difficult catch to make and if he didn’t make it, the Raiders hopes end there.

Later in the drive, the Raiders were in fourth down again. This time from the nine-yard-line. And, of course, Carr danced with the date that got him there. Hollins was covered, but Carr threw it anyway and Hollins leapt in the air and reached over the defender to pull in the touchdown.

The two-point conversion failed, but Hollins is the reason they were in that position at all.

Also see: Mack Hollins’s huge catches, career-day give Raiders chance late vs Titans

DE Maxx Crosby

The first stop of the game was Crosby making a tackle for loss on Derrick Henry. He was in on three of the first four plays, including a batted ball and another run stop for no gain. But he can’t do it all by himself and they drove for a TD anyway.

Crosby was a big part of the Raiders holding the Titans scoreless in the second half. He made the first tackle on a run stuff for no gain. The next play he got pressure leading to the pass not being delivered on time and an ineligible man down field penalty. On third and long, Ryan Tannehill was picked off.

He had another run stuff for a loss on third and short on the following drive and it would end with a turnover on downs. And the drive after that he added another run stuff and a pressure leading to an incompletion.

The final Titans possession, the Raiders desperately needed a quick stop. And Crosby provided it. He had a run stuff at the line on the first play and sacked Tannehill for a 12-yard loss on the next play. They went three-and-out.

He finished with a team-leading nine combined tackles (five solo) and the only sack and tackles for loss (2) the Raiders had in the game.

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs had 66 yards on 13 carries (5.1 yards per carry) and five catches for 31 yards, to give her 97 yards from scrimmage.

His first run went for ten yards, setting up their first score. And on their first TD drive, on consecutive plays, he had a six-yard catch, a throwback pass to Carr that led to a 17-yard completion to Davante Adams, and an 11-yard run to put them in first and goal at the one. They scored on the next play.

He led out the Raiders first scoring drive of the third quarter with a 13-yard run and added a five-yard run. Then he led out their final scoring drive with a 13-yard catch.

TE Foster Moreau

The Raiders first touchdown doesn’t happen without Moreau. He started out the drive with a 22-yard catch and two plays later added a 14-yard catch in which he dragged his feet inbounds along the right sideline.

On their scoring drive to start the third quarter, Moreau laid the block out right to spring Brandon Bolden for a 12-yard run. He added an eight-yard first down catch in the fourth quarter.

T Thayer Munford

The rookie seven round pick made his first career start and played every snap. In that time he gave up one sack and that was the only pressure he gave up all game long. He didn’t even have a penalty. Well done, rook.

Busters

TE Darren Waller

After the Titans led out the game with a touchdown drive, the Raiders looked to answer with their own. They would get to the five-yard-line. Carr threw for Waller in the end zone and it went right through his hands and they settled for a field goal.

Down 21-10 in the second quarter, the Raiders lined up in third and seven. Carr threw deep for Waller who had a step on his man. The pass was a bit long, but had Waller laid out for it, he may have had a shot. Instead he tried to make a one-handed grab and it bounced off his hand incomplete.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Raiders were down 24-13 and drove to the six-yard-line, looking to score again. Carr threw for Waller over the middle. The pass was high and hot, but catchable and Waller had it go slip through his hands where it was intercepted off the deflection.

That was two touchdowns and a huge play that Waller had bounce off his hands. In a game that came down to two points, those were obviously huge mistakes.

LT Kolton Miller, LG Alex Bars, C Dylan Parham, RG Jermaine Eluemunor

In an ironic twist, everyone but the rookie making his first start at right tackle had a terrible game.

Both Miller and Bars had missed blocked that led to tackles for loss on the Raiders opening drive. The second drive touchdown was made all the more difficult thanks to a false start by Eluemunor on first and goal from the one. And just prior to the lone sack on Carr in the game, it was Bars who gave up a pressure that led to an incompletion.

Bars led out the first drive of the third quarter by giving up a run stuff. Then he and Miller both missed their block attempts on the same guy on a run out left that should have went for good yards if either had made the block. Then in third-and-four from the nine-yard-line, Miller was flagged for a false start. The next play, Eluemunor gave up a hit on Carr resulting in an incompletion and another field goal.

The next possession was a three-and-out that started with an Eluemunor holding penalty and ending with Parham and Bars missing their blocks on a screen that was stuffed for a two-yard loss.

How they even scored a first goal midway through the fourth quarter is a wonder. Considering Bars started it off by giving up a pressure while also being flagged for holding and Miller giving up a hit on Carr.

The 60-yard catch and run by Mack Hollins almost didn’t happen because Carr was hit hard right after releasing the ball by Bars’s man. Then it was marched back 15 yards by a Parham unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The next play Parham missed his block to get the screen play stopped for a loss.

QB Derek Carr

Once again, Davante Adams was a near non-factor. He had just 36 yards on five catches. His first catch went for just three yards and then he was sent on an end-around for a loss. When we say to get the ball in the hands of your best player, that’s not really what we had in mind.

Don’t just take it from me though…

After the Raiders added a field goal to start the third quarter, they got the ball back in scoring position off an interception. Then they not only went three-and-out, but were knocked out of scoring range. Carr took too long to get the team lined up on third and 13 and was flagged for delay of game. They then conceded possession with a ridiculous screen play on third-and-18 that was stopped for a loss.

The offensive line wasn’t the only thing that made it tough for the Raiders to score on their final possession. On three straight plays, Carr overthrew Adams, overthrew Keelan Cole on third-and-ten, and then on fourth-and-ten was flagged for yet another delay of game penalty. It was only because of the incredible catch by Hollins on the ball Carr threw to his outside shoulder that the drive didn’t end there.

LB Divine Deablo, S Johnathan Abram

The first positive play of the day was Abram giving up a 23-yard screen play. The Titans still ended up in third-and-ten three plays later. So Abram was out of position to give up a wide open catch that went for 11 yards. Two plays laster, Deablo gave up a 10-yard run to the 25. The next play, Abram bit on the play action to give up eight yards on the reverse. Then on the final play, Abram went on the blitz and Deablo didn’t take the tight end, leaving him wide open for the touchdown.

That was probably their worst drive. But they weren’t without their issues the rest of the way either. Abram added a missed tackle on a ten-yard run on the Titans’ third touchdown drive. Then Deablo gave up catches of 13 and 15 yards, the latter leading to a field goal to end the first half.

The Titans’ second drive of the third quarter saw them lined up on third and nine from their own two-yard-line. A stop would’ve been big. But on the dump pass, Abram missed the tackle and Deablo took a terrible angle, leading to a 30-yard catch and run. The next two plays saw Deablo give up runs of four and 13 yards.

Yeah, the defense stepped up in the second half, but for the most part it was despite Deablo or Abram.

DC Patrick Graham

The Titans are known for being unable to sustain scoring drives after their opening drive. And yet they were able to drive for touchdowns on their first three possessions of this game. For an offense that is supposed to be one-dimensional. That’s not good at all. Even the second half shutout isn’t enough to make up for that.

HC Josh McDaniels

Before a single snap occurred, we knew the line was going to make life difficult. Because they have in every game. The Alex Bars start in particular seemed strange. I mean, John Simpson hasn’t been a world-beater, but he’s been better on his worst day than Bars was in this one. The only possible explanation for calling up Bars from the practice squad to start is if something is wrong with Simpson.

Down 21-10 late in the second quarter, the Raiders got the ball back with a minute left. That usually means they will have the last chance to score. But instead, they would go three-and-out, taking a grand total of 28 seconds off the clock. And with 21 seconds on the clock, the Titans moved into scoring range and extended the lead to 24-10 at the half.

Being down 14 points would seem to light a fire under them in terms of making the most of their time. But with possession to start the third quarter, the Raiders took over eight minutes off the clock and still managed just a field goal out of it.

McDaniels’ Patriots mate on the opposite sideline said, ‘I see your bad play calls and raise you a couple’. First by calling for a run up the middle on third-and-one that everyone, including the Raiders, predicted and therefore had crowded the line to stop it. Then, despite that play being stopped for a loss, the Titans STILL went for it on fourth-and-four and the Raiders stopped it for a turnover on downs, giving them great field position.

So much bad coaching.

Story originally appeared on Raiders Wire