The Oakland Raiders beat the New York Giants by a score of 24-17, securing a tie for first place in the AFC West and keeping their once fading playoff hopes alive and well. It was another ugly win for Oakland but a win is a win and they now control their own destiny.
And as always, win or lose, Monday morning is when I share some quick thoughts and impressions from the week’s game. So let’s get into it.
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Marshawn Lynch continues to look good for Oakland. On the first drive of the game, he had his biggest run of the year, scampering 51 yards for the first score of the game. It was also Lynch’s first 100 yard rushing game of the year.
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Derek Carr was off for much of the game with inaccurate passes and questionable decision making, but at the end of the day he played well enough at the right times to get the win.
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The defense continues to look improved under John Pagano and the pass rush in particular. They didn’t pick up five sacks the way they did against Denver, but they were able to log three sacks. That means, Oakland has had eight sacks in two games under Pagano after managing only 14 sacks in 10 games under Ken Norton, Jr. this season.
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Speaking of improvement under Pagano, Bruce Irvin might have been the most upset about Norton’s firing, but he also might be the most improved defender on the team since Pagano took over. In the two games under Pagano, Irvin has 3 sacks 1 stuff and 2 forced fumbles.
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One of the most promising parts of the defensive performance was that the team held Geno Smith in check on the ground. We all know he isn’t much of a threat throwing the ball but in his three prior appearances against Oakland, he ran the ball 17 times for 122 yards, which is an average of over seven yards per carry. On Sunday, Smith was a non factor in the ground game with only 13 yards. That’s good for the Raiders, who take on Kansas City next. Alex Smith has terrorized Oakland with his legs in the past so hopefully this is a sign they wont let it happen again.
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Oh, and speaking of defense, NoVarro Bowman continues to lead the Raiders in tackles every Sunday.
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Cordarrelle Patterson had his best day as a wide receiver for the Raiders, catching four passes for 97 yards with both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree absent for the game.
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Clive Walford made a surprising appearance as the second leading receiver for Oakland on the day with four catches for 57 yards. Once again, stepping up for the missing Crabtree and Cooper.
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