Oakland Raiders: Studs and duds from win vs. Chargers, Week 10
Studs: Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby, DEs
The Oakland Raiders were lambasted for taking Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and, for much of the season, critics were proven right. Ferrell had been almost completely ineffective all year but the rookie finally broke out against rookie tackle Trey Pipkins, notching a career-high 2.5 sacks on the night to go with eight total tackles on the night.
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Ferrell wasn’t the only rookie defensive end to make his presence felt, though. Maxx Crosby, a fourth-round pick by the Raiders, was also constantly getting pressure on Philip Rivers. While he had only 0.5 sacks on the night, he lived in the Chargers backfield whenever he was out there and really helped make some plays for this defense.
Dud: Darren Waller, TE
One of the big breakout stars in the NFL this season and certainly for the Raiders has been tight end Darren Waller. He’s constantly been putting up numbers for this team and has arguably emerged as the most consistent pass-catcher in the offense this season. That, however, was not the case against the Chargers in a matchup where many thought that he would thrive.
Waller finished the Week 10 matchup with three catches (on five targets) for 40 yards, including a team-long 27-yard reception. However, he had one crucial drop and simply wasn’t the force that he could’ve been against a lacking group of Chargers linebackers. For a player that has been as good as Waller has been this season, it was disappointing to see such a lackluster performance from the tight end.