The Oakland Raiders weren't at their best Sunday afternoon in Upstate New York, and they left New Era Field with a 34-14 loss in tow.
After the Silver and Black jumped out to an early 7-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills, Tyrod Taylor and Co., went on a 27-0 run that proved to be just too much for the Raiders to overcome. With the loss, Head Coach Jack Del Rio's squad falls to 3-5, and will face a big challenge Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins in primetime.
However, before the focus shifts to the Dolphins, let's review the playtime percentages from the battle with the Bills, and see what we can learn from the snap counts.
Offense
Newhouse returns and goes the distance– After missing the Raiders Week 7 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Marshall Newhouse returned to his typical spot at right tackle for the matchup with the Bills. Newhouse, along with the rest of the usual starting offensive line (Penn, Osemele, Hudson and Jackson) played all 65 offensive snaps at New Era Field. While the offense sputtered at times throughout the afternoon, the line did a good job of keeping Derek Carr upright, not allowing a sack to the very stout Bills defensive front.
Crabtree has a solid day at the office– If you look up the word "reliable" in the dictionary, there's probably a photo of Derek Carr placed there. In total, the veteran wide receiver played 55 snaps (85%) against the Bills, finishing the game with five catches for a team-high 83 receiving yards. At the halfway point of the season, No. 15 has totaled 33 catches for 411 yards and six touchdowns, and has been about as consistent as they come for Carr and the Raiders offense.
Washington finds the end zone– Without the services of Marshawn Lynch, there was an uptick in responsibility for the Raiders second-year running backs, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. When all was said and done, Washington played 32 offensive snaps (49%), carrying the ball six times for 26 yards. He also caught eight passes for 62 yards and one touchdown, the first receiving score of his young career.
Defense
Luani gets the start– With Karl Joseph on the mend, rookie safety Shalom Luani got his first career start Sunday afternoon against the Bills. The former Washington State Cougar performed admirably in his first extended run as a Raider, playing 68 (99%) defensive snaps in the Week 8 loss. At day's end, Luani totaled seven tackles, as well as a pass defensed.
Bowman paces the defense, again– For the second week in a row, NaVorro Bowman led Ken Norton, Jr.'s group in tackles. No. 53 played all 69 defensive snaps for the Raiders, and totaled a team-high 11 tackles, as well as one tackle for loss. The Silver and Black signed the All-Pro linebacker to be a force in the middle of the field, and so far, he's been just that.
James enjoys a strong outing –Linebacker Cory James seemed to be everywhere defensively for the Raiders Sunday afternoon at New Era Field. The second-year linebacker played 49 (71%) defensive snaps, and filled up the stat sheet, finishing his day with eight tackles and three tackles for loss.
