Oakland Raiders: 5 Players Who Stepped Up Versus Chargers

Oct 25, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) is congratulated after an interception during the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Hayden

If there was a guy that was sitting on the proverbial hot seat and needing a break out performance, it was Hayden. It’s not that he has played horribly during the first 5 games for Oakland, but he has not proved himself worthy of a 1st round draft pick. He’s still young and has time to improve, however, and Sunday against San Diego was hopefully a great step towards showing that he is headed in the right direction.

Hayden recorded 10 solo tackles and an interception, only his third career pick in roughly two and a half seasons, per profootballreference.com. It was by far the most tackles he has ever recorded, and not a surprise considering the number of pass attempts the Chargers had. He was part of a secondary that did not give up 100 yards to any receiver, and kept Chargers WR Keenan Allen out of the end zone and at bay when you consider what Allen has done recently.

Next: A 4 Quarters Leader