The Silver and Black walked away from their Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers with a 34-30 win, notching the first 'W' in Las Vegas Raiders' history.
Several things contributed to Head Coach Jon Gruden's group getting the victory on Sunday, and many of those things are reflected in the numbers. Before Week 2 gets underway, let's check out the defining statistics from yesterday's game.
Three touchdowns courtesy of Josh Jacobs. We all know by now that the former University of Alabama product is a stud, with many NFL pundits claiming he's a top-five back this offseason, and against the Panthers, he backed up those claims. Jacobs out-dueled arguably the best running back in the game, Christian McCaffrey, scoring more TDs and racking up more scrimmage yards.
Zero sacks were allowed by the Raiders' offensive line. The Silver and Black have one of the most formidable lines in the NFL, but after losing Trent Brown early in the game yesterday, the unit wasn't playing at full strength. In Brown's stead, backup tackle Sam Young stepped up; however, Young left the game due to injury as well. This left guard Denzelle Good as the only option to fill in, and he did a superb job. Offensive line coach Tom Cable's unit fought off a young and explosive Panthers' pass rush and kept Derek Carr clean in the pocket all afternoon.
Thirteen tackles for Johnathan Abram. Coming out of Mississippi State, analysts and fans were excited by the addition of the hard-hitting Abram in the Raiders' secondary, but a Week 1 injury derailed his rookie campaign. For 12 months, Abram studied defensive coordinator Paul Guenther's defense closely and he executed it at a high level Sunday. The 23-year-old led all defenders with 13 tackles and was flying around the field like a bat out of hell. As long as he stays healthy, Abram is going to help this defense take a big step forward.
Forty-five yards was Carr's longest completion of the day. All offseason we heard about how Henry Ruggs III was going to stretch the field and provide a deep threat for No. 4. Carr's first pass of the game was a deep shot to Ruggs, but the duo was unable to connect. A few plays later, Carr found Ruggs streaking over the middle of the field for a 45-yard play. Ruggs finished the day with 55 yards receiving and flashed glimpses of how dynamic he can be as a playmaker.
Nine receivers caught a pass. Carr has always shared the ball and it's one of the things Gruden loves most about him. The former Fresno State Bulldog's ability to get everyone involved in the game plan keeps opposing defenses guessing and keeps things balanced. Carr targeted the receivers, tight ends, and running backs all throughout the game, finishing the match with 239 yards and one touchdown, which was a perfectly thrown rainbow right into Nelson Agholor's arms.
Here's a look at the play-time percentages from Week 1:
| Player | Position | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R Incognito | G | 63 - 100% | 6 - 21% | |
| K Miller | T | 63 - 100% | 6 - 21% | |
| G Jackson | G | 63 - 100% | 6 - 21% | |
| R Hudson | C | 63 - 100% | 5 - 17% | |
| D Carr | QB | 63 - 100% | ||
| D Waller | TE | 56 - 89% | ||
| J Jacobs | RB | 49 - 78% | ||
| B Edwards | WR | 47 - 75% | ||
| D Good | G | 45 - 71% | 6 - 21% | |
| H Ruggs III | WR | 42 - 67% | ||
| H Renfrow | WR | 30 - 48% | 2 - 7% | |
| J Witten | TE | 28 - 44% | 6 - 21% | |
| A Ingold | FB | 15 - 24% | 17 - 59% | |
| S Young | T | 15 - 24% | 1 - 3% | |
| F Moreau | TE | 12 - 19% | 9 - 31% | |
| N Agholor | WR | 12 - 19% | ||
| Z Jones | WR | 9 - 14% | ||
| D Booker | RB | 8 - 13% | 2 - 7% | |
| J Richard | RB | 7 - 11% | 6 - 21% | |
| T Brown | T | 3 - 5% | ||
| J Abram | FS | 67 - 100% | 12 - 41% | |
| C Littleton | LB | 67 - 100% | 7 - 24% | |
| E Harris | SS | 65 - 97% | 18 - 62% | |
| T Mullen | CB | 63 - 94% | 10 - 34% | |
| L Joyner | FS | 60 - 90% | ||
| C Ferrell | DE | 52 - 78% | 2 - 7% | |
| M Crosby | DE | 51 - 76% | 8 - 28% | |
| D Arnette | CB | 48 - 72% | 1 - 3% | |
| M Collins | DT | 47 - 70% | 5 - 17% | |
| N Morrow | LB | 46 - 69% | 18 - 62% | |
| J Hankins | DT | 39 - 58% | 4 - 14% | |
| A Key | DE | 29 - 43% | 3 - 10% | |
| N Kwiatkoski | LB | 22 - 33% | 4 - 14% | |
| C Nassib | DE | 20 - 30% | 1 - 3% | |
| M Hurst | DT | 20 - 30% | ||
| I Johnson | CB | 16 - 24% | 16 - 55% | |
| K Vickers | DE | 9 - 13% | 1 - 3% | |
| K Nixon | CB | 6 - 9% | 22 - 76% | |
| R McMillan | LB | 6 - 9% | 13 - 45% | |
| J Heath | SS | 3 - 4% | 18 - 62% | |
| K Wilber | LB | 1 - 1% | 23 - 79% | |
| D Carrier | TE | 24 - 83% | ||
| D Carlson | K | 13 - 45% | ||
| A Cole | P | 9 - 31% | ||
| T Sieg | LS | 9 - 31% | ||
| A James | T | 6 - 21% |
