The Raiders performed better – at times and in spots – despite losing again to the Kansas City Chiefs. We use the latest Pro Football Focus numbers to see where the team is making progress.
During seasons like this, where the playoffs are impossible and good news is hard to come by, it’s a good idea for fans and analysts alike to focus on what is going well and find bright spots during a heavy rebuild year. The loss against the Chiefs in Oakland was hard to swallow but there was plenty of “light at the end of the tunnel” moments for a roster in transition. Let’s look at this week’s PFF numbers to see where hope may be springing up.
Baby You Can Drive My Carr
While many feel the jury is still out on Derek Carr (yes, despite moving into second on the Raiders all-time passing list Sunday), there’s no denying he had a nice bounce-back game against the division-leading Chiefs. Carr finished the day with a 90.3 PFF grade. It was his highest rated game during a forgettable season which also saw the quarterback go his seventh-straight game without throwing an interception. The offensive line in front of Carr continued to play better allowing 12 pressures on which Carr completed six of nine passes for 50 yards. Carr also had a season-high 120.4 passer rating when pressured and is fifth in the league when pressured during 2018. One game won’t convince the naysayers but there’s no denying Carr has been steady over the past several weeks under center.
Conley Continues to Improve
Although it wasn’t a heavy day for the second-year cornerback, Gareon Conley performed up to snuff against the precise Chiefs passing attack. According to PFF, Conley played 33 snaps in coverage allowing just one completion for five yards on the day on just two targets. Conley also had a nice pass breakup but did fail to catch a certain interception in the end zone on an errant Mahomes pass.
KO Still Struggling With Injury
Rock-solid offensive guard Kelechi Osemele continues to struggle due to injury. Having been healthy just a few weeks in 2018, Osemele allowed three pressures in 45 pass-blocking snaps on the day against Kansas City. He notched a season-low 44.4 run blocking grade from PFF against the Chiefs. His lingering knee injury continues to hamper his play and he’s at a career-low 52.5 overall grade ranking him 63rd among 83 guards this season.