After a very nice first half against the Los Angeles Rams, the Oakland Raiders just couldn't keep it going after the break, as they eventually fell to 33-13 to Sean McVay and Co., Monday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
While the Silver and Black ultimately now own a 0-1 record, there's no need to overreact just yet – one game won't define any NFL team, the Raiders included.
And to be fair, there were some positives to take away from Monday night, mainly the play of the team – both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball – in the first 30 minutes of play.
Next up for the Silver and Black is a divisional matchup on the road against the Denver Broncos, but before we shift our attention to that, let's take a look back at the playtime percentages from the clash with the Rams, and see what the numbers tell us.
| Player | Pos. | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Penn | T | 74 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| G Jackson | G | 74 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| K Miller | T | 74 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| R Hudson | C | 74 - 100% | 3 - 10% | |
| K Osemele | G | 74 - 100% | ||
| D Carr | QB | 74 - 100% | ||
| J Nelson | WR | 72 - 97% | ||
| A Cooper | WR | 69 - 93% | ||
| J Cook | TE | 67 - 91% | ||
| S Roberts | WR | 47 - 64% | ||
| J Richard | RB | 37 - 50% | 3 - 10% | |
| M Lynch | RB | 27 - 36% | ||
| D Carrier | TE | 25 - 34% | 18 - 58% | |
| D Martin | RB | 10 - 14% | ||
| L Smith | TE | 9 - 12% | 15 - 48% | |
| K Smith | FB | 7 - 9% | 18 - 58% | |
| T Whitehead | LB | 63 - 100% | 9 - 29% | |
| R Nelson | FS | 63 - 100% | 1 - 3% | |
| L Hall | CB | 62 - 98% | 3 - 10% | |
| G Conley | DB | 57 - 90% | 2 - 6% | |
| M Gilchrist | FS | 56 - 89% | 13 - 42% | |
| R Melvin | CB | 49 - 78% | 9 - 29% | |
| J Ellis | NT | 45 - 71% | 7 - 23% | |
| M Hurst | DT | 42 - 67% | 1 - 3% | |
| F Rucker | DT | 41 - 65% | 6 - 19% | |
| D Johnson | LB | 39 - 62% | 1 - 3% | |
| P Hall | DT | 32 - 51% | 8 - 26% | |
| A Key | DE | 32 - 51% | 8 - 26% | |
| B Irvin | LB | 31 - 49% | 9 - 29% | |
| M Lee | LB | 24 - 38% | 26 - 84% | |
| D Rodgers-Cromartie | CB | 20 - 32% | 11 - 35% | |
| F Brown | DE | 17 - 27% | 1 - 3% | |
| S Calhoun | LB | 12 - 19% | 14 - 45% | |
| K Joseph | SS | 7 - 11% | 14 - 45% | |
| E Lamur | LB | 1 - 2% | 1 - 3% | |
| E Harris | SS | 26 - 84% | ||
| N Morrow | LB | 18 - 58% | ||
| K Hatcher | WR | 16 - 52% | ||
| D Harris | WR | 15 - 48% | ||
| J Townsend | P | 8 - 26% | ||
| M Nugent | K | 8 - 26% | ||
| J Feliciano | G | 4 - 13% | ||
| B Parker | T | 4 - 13% | ||
| A DePaola | LS | 2 - 6% |
Offense
Marshawn Lynch goes "Beast Mode" – Well, we saw Marshawn Lynch do what Marshawn Lynch does best Monday night, as he dragged a handful of Rams literally on his back for his first touchdown of 2018. In total, Lynch played 27 offensive snaps (36%), and while he carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards, his highlight of the night came in the form of that first quarter touchdown. The touchdown was also Lynch's 59th rushing score since 2011, the most of any player during that span.
Have a day, Jared Cook – Did the Silver and Black's offense do enough to win Monday night? No, they didn't, but give No. 87 credit, he certainly took advantage of the chances the Rams gave him in the regular season opener. By game's end, the versatile tight end had played 67 snaps (91%), hauling in nine catches for 180 yards. His 180 yards also set a franchise record for the most receiving yards in a game by a tight end.
Jalen Richard gets involved in the passing game – Throughout the preseason, we saw running back Jalen Richard get involved in the passing game, and that trend carried over the start of the regular season as well. Richard played 37 offensive snaps (50%) against the Rams, and in addition to his five carries for 40 yards, No. 30 also caught nine passes from Carr, good for 55 receiving yards.
Defense
Tahir Whitehead paces the defense – Whitehead played all 63 defensive snaps Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, and in addition to going the distance – along with safety Reggie Nelson – the veteran linebacker also led the Raiders in tackling. In total, Whitehead tallied seven total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defensed.
Bruce Irvin forces a fumble – The defensive highlight of Monday night belonged to Bruce Irvin, who got to Rams quarterback Jared Goff in the second quarter, forcing a fumble that was ultimately recovered by Los Angeles. Irvin played 31 defensive snaps (49%) in Monday's loss, finishing his 2018 debut with one tackle, one sack, a quarterback hit, and a forced fumble.
Conley gets the start – One of the biggest storylines headed into 2018 was the development of second-year cornerback Gareon Conley, and while we're just one game into the season, it was nice to see the former Ohio State Buckeye play much of the opener. Conley played 57 defensive snaps (90%) against the Rams, and the play of he and the other Raiders defensive backs is a big reason why Goff completed just four passes in the first half.
