Las Vegas Raiders: Studs and duds from Week 2 vs. Saints
Las Vegas Raiders Week 2 Stud: Darren Waller, TE
One year after his breakout season, tight end Darren Waller was held relatively in check in the Raiders’ Week 1 victory over the Panthers. That didn’t continue into the second week of the season.
Waller was an unstoppable force for the Raiders offense, getting hit over the middle time and time again throughout the game. The tight end caught 12 balls on 16 targets to end up with 103 yards and one touchdown. After seeing that type of performance, it’s safe to say he’s not going to be a one-year wonder.
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With the way this offense operates with Carr at quarterback, he needs reliable short and intermediate throws. Waller is a matchup nightmare in those areas of the field, which means he remains one of the most critical cogs of the offense.
Las Vegas Raiders Week 2 Dud: O-line play
The Raiders entered the primetime matchup already down a key piece on the offensive line with right tackle Trent Brown ruled inactive. Midway through the matchup, they lost veteran guard Richie Incognito to injury, putting rookie John Simpson in as a replacement. And to be frank, it showed.
Per PFF, the Raiders offensive line allowed Carr to see pressure on over 30 percent of their passing snaps, which is never what you want. Moreover, they also struggled to open up consistent running lanes for Josh Jacobs, especially early in the game, as he averaged only 3.3. yards per carry on the day.
While the pressure allowed likely contributed to Waller’s big game as a checkdown in the middle of the field but, for what’s supposed to be a strength of this team, that was not an impressive showing.