Raiders report card: Offense, coaching staff get high grades in Week 1
How the Raiders performed in a 20-13 win against the Patriots on Sunday:
Offense: B-plus
A day after a plaque was unveiled in Massachusetts to honor late Raiders owner Al Davis, the team honored him on the field by throwing deep. Geno Smith, save one interception, was accurate in tough conditions and utilized all his receivers. Smith, in his first start as the Raiders quarterback, completed 24 of his 34 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown. The lone negative was the Raiders’ inability to run the ball. They managed just 56 yards on the ground on 24 carries. Play-action passes might not be as effective in future weeks if the Raiders can’t generate more of a run game. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, had 38 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Tight end Brock Bowers had 103 receiving yards on five catches. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers added 97 yards on eight catches. Seven different players had a reception for the Raiders.
Defense: A
The Raiders held the Patriots to just one touchdown and a pair of field goals. Defensive end Maxx Crosby was disruptive with a sack, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss, plus he got some help from his teammates. The linebackers held up despite losing Elandon Roberts to an elbow injury. The secondary also did well despite having several new pieces. Linebacker Devin White led the Raiders with 11 tackles, while safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had seven tackles and an interception. The Patriots finished with just 60 rushing yards on 18 carries and converted only four of their 14 third downs.
Special teams: C
Kicker Daniel Carlson made two of his three field-goal attempts — the miss came from 58 yards — and also flubbed a kickoff. AJ Cole averaged 49.8 yards on five punts, with two landing in the end zone. The Raiders were strong in the return game. Wide receiver Tre Tucker returned a punt 13 yards and running backs Dylan Laube and Zamir White gained 96 yards on three kickoff returns.
Coaching: A-plus
Coach Pete Carroll’s Raiders debut could not have gone better. His team competed hard and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham each called excellent games. Carroll, between his stints with the Raiders and Seahawks, is now 25-11 when bringing his teams east for a 10 a.m. PT kickoff.
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Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
