Raiders report card: Defense, special teams at head of class

How the Raiders performed in a 20-10 win over the Titans on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium:

Offense: C

There were two long scoring drives — each covered 13 plays — that produced 10 points. But it wasn’t the easiest of tasks moving the ball consistently. Quarterback Geno Smith finished 17 for 23 for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty had 75 yards rushing on a season-high 23 carries, a tough average of 3.3 yards per play. The Raiders averaged 4 yards per snap while controlling 32:26 of the clock. Tight end Michael Mayer had his best game in some time, collecting five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Smith was sacked twice and hit seven times.

Defense: A

What an impressive day for the defense. The Raiders controlled the game defensively with five sacks, two by edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Veteran linebacker Devin White had by far his best game as a Raider, accounting for a strip sack that led to a touchdown. He also had an interception. The Titans were 3 of 13 on third down and managed an average of just 3.8 yards per play. White led the team with nine tackles, and Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward was 26 of 38 for 222 yards with a touchdown and the interception.

Special teams: A

Very unlike recent weeks, which means it was a good day. Daniel Carlson made both his field-goal attempts, from 50 and 29 yards. You would have never known punter AJ Cole was performing with a sprained ankle. All four of his attempts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Return and coverage units were solid. And, no, there wasn’t a blocked kick in sight.

Coaching: B

Things could have been smoother on offense, but the Raiders were prepared to play and did all that was necessary to snap their four-game losing streak. The defense was especially impressive. Now we will see if the Raiders can ride the momentum into Kansas City next week for an AFC West game.

Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal