The Las Vegas Raiders needed to turn the page entering the second month of the NFL schedule, finding new ideas to ignite early playoff hopes and start climbing back up the NFL standings.
On Sunday afternoon, the Raiders looked to turn the page against the new-look Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. In a pivotal game for both AFC West clubs, the Raiders learned from their mistakes and proved they can adjust after early struggles.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders schedule
Here are five takeaways from the Las Vegas Raiders victory over the Denver Broncos.
1. Las Vegas Raiders turned to rushing attack
Las Vegas relied heavily on its pass-catching weapons, such as wide receivers Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Mack Hollins and Darren Waller to carry the offense. However, McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi took a different approach against the Broncos.
Josh Jacobs became the focal point in the offense, recording 28 carries for a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, Jacobs caught five passes for 31 yards.
On the team’s final drive, the Raiders needed 10 yards to seal the first victory. Jacobs took three consecutive carries and bulldozed his way for a first down to secure the win.
“The last few weeks, we’ve been in the same position, and it felt good to come together as a unit and accomplish the goal we set out to do.”
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs
Not only was Jacobs electric in the rushing attack, but so was quarterback Derek Carr on his scrambles.
Carr, who completed 21-of-34 attempts for 188 yards, ran the ball seven times for 40 yards.
McDaniels said Carr has become another weapon in the offense by being able to scramble and run the football with opponents covering Adams and Waller.
“Sometimes, when they try to double-cover certain players offensively, he becomes the sixth skill player and there’s no one with a set of eyeballs on him other than the four guys that are all trying to rush,” McDaniels said of Carr.
2. Third-down efficiency
One of the keys to the first Raiders’ victory was the ability to extend drives on third down, both for offensively and defensively. On offense, the Raiders completed 50% of its third downs, compared to Denver’s 3-for-11 clip.
In third-down opportunities for the Silver and Black, Carr was not only effective with his arm, but also his feet to prevent special teams from coming on the field.
Six plays later, Las Vegas faced another third down opportunity, needing two yards at the Broncos’ 29-yard line with 2:53 left. Instead of Jacobs, rookie Zamir White delivered with the first down.
3. Amik Robertson delivers game-changing play
One of the biggest turning points in the game came with three minutes left in the first half. After Denver completed a fourth down play, the Las Vegas defense stepped up.
Met by a trio of Raiders defenders, running back Melvin Gordon lost the football fighting for extra yardage and Las Vegas seized on its opportunity.
McDaniels said the 5-foot-8 cornerback, who recovered the fumble for his first NFL touchdown, continues to impress the coaches both in games and practice.
“Any challenge that Amik gets, he rises to the occasion. From his stature, he’s always kind of had it against him that maybe he’s too this, too that. Amik’s tough. Amik’s fast. He’ll hit you. I thought he was going to go down two or three different times after he got the ball on the fumble. He did a great job of running with the ball.”
Las Vegas Raiders HC Josh McDaniels on Amik Roberton’s touchdown
4. Maxx Crosby comes up big
Defensively, the Raiders needed to step up and the Condor came through. Maxx Crosby, stepped up to the challenge on Sunday as he recorded two sacks and four tackles for loss.
“He’s worked so hard in every phase,” McDaniels said. “His leadership has been great, his effort, his presence and obviously his play. These are the situations where your backs are against the ball a little bit and you want to come out here and give your best effort and try to get your first W and I thought Maxx had a great attitude all week long.”
Crosby’s sacks both came in the third quarter as Russell Wilson and the Broncos punted on its first three possessions of the second half to limit any possible comeback after Las Vegas had a 19-16 lead at the break.
“Thought he made some big stops in the running game,” McDaniels said of Crosby. “He ran some plays down from behind and then he got some pressure on the quarterback and got him down a couple of times. So, that’s Maxx. Doesn’t surprise me that he plays like that with that energy and effort and made some critical plays.”
5. Las Vegas Raiders still need to work on red zone scoring
Up next, the Raiders have an extra day of film study and preparation before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5 on Monday Night Football.
One of the things the Raiders will need to hone in this week will be finding ways to get into the end zone as kicker Daniel Carlson made four field goals from 30 yards or less.
In addition, the Silver and Black only scored two touchdowns of its five red zone attempts.
That means, the Las Vegas Raiders are getting near the goal line, but the offense is unable to convert it into seven points.
Being able to score seven points will be a hot topic, especially when the Las Vegas Raiders will go up against a Chiefs team that scored a touchdown on their first three possessions against Tampa Bay this week.