Football Team @ Raiders
Final Score: Football Team 17, Raiders 15
Writer: Justin Herrera (@Semtexmex93 on Twitter)
The Washington Football Team brought their two-game win streak into Las Vegas to play the emerging Raiders. The major absences to report in this one were Darren Waller (knee) and J.D. McKissic (neck). The Football team came into this game hoping to keep their win streak and playoff chances alive, while the Raiders looked to build off an impressive win over the Cowboys. This game came down to a gritty showing of each team’s defense and came down to the last drive with the Football team holding off the Raiders. The final score was Washington Football Team 17, Las Vegas Raiders 15.
Washington Football Team
Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke: 23/30, 196 yards, 2 TD, INT | 3 carries, 10 yards
Real nice throw from Taylor Heinicke on 3rd down. Pressure in his face, stands in and delivers a great ball to McLaurin for a conversion pic.twitter.com/zbwc4ve2XN
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) December 5, 2021
Taylor Heinicke started his night driving downfield throwing a 23-yard pass to John Bates, followed up by a 13 yarder to Terry McLaurin. This led to Heinicke and Logan Thomas connecting for a seven-yard TD. After four straight punts and a Raiders field goal. Heinicke started moving the ball downfield hitting Thomas for a 35 yard gain, before connecting with Adam Humphries for 10 yards. This drive led to Heinicke connecting with Gibson for a four-yard TD. Heinicke would get into trouble on the next drive, underthrowing McLaurin and getting picked by Nate Hobbs. After the turnover led to a lead change in favor of the Raiders, it became Heinicke’s time to shine.
The final drive was 100 percent out of the shotgun and Heinicke delivered. Connecting on four of five passes for 37 yards while leading the team down the field for a game-winning field goal. Heinicke is an interesting quarterback. Last week the broadcast brought up a point of view from one of Heinicke’s past coaches. He said if Heinicke was taller he would’ve gone to any school in the country to play quarterback. After watching his gritty play this year, I think he could have a job either in Washington or somewhere else going forward. There’s a presence that a winner has, and you kind of get that feeling from Heinicke when he’s leading the final drive.
Running Back
Antonio Gibson: 23 carries, 88 yards | 6 targets, 5 receptions, 23 yards, TD
Wendell Smallwood: 1 carry, 13 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
Jaret Patterson: 1 carry, 2 yards
Antonio Gibson receiving TD🥵
pic.twitter.com/eiUXLGM3BU— Victoria (@ffb_victoria) December 5, 2021
Antonio Gibson is coming alive during the team’s 3 game win streak. First play of the game, Gibson went to the outside for 22 yards. While on the next drive he would take to the opposite side for 16 yards. Gibson was doing an excellent job of attacking the hole in this game. Also like his counterpart Josh Jacobs, Gibson took advantage of the receiving work. Getting a four-yard receiving TD, and collecting 4 receptions for 23 yards. Gibson without J.D. Mckissic looks sharp and should be considered a very solid RB2 going forward.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Logan Thomas: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 48 yards, TD
John Bates: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 42 yards
Adam Humphries: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 38 yards
Terry McLaurin: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards
DeAndre Carter: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
Dyami Brown: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
Curtis Samuel: 1 target, 1 reception, -2 yards | 2 carries, -1 yard
WHAT A CATCH BY LOGAN THOMAS! pic.twitter.com/wXH0kUZdA9
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 5, 2021
Logan Thomas is exactly what this team needed in this game and unfortunately suffered what looks to be at least an ACL injury if not an MCL as well. When he was on the field Thomas was making important catches, like his 35-yard catch to get WFT into scoring position. Maybe his biggest catch of the game was his one-handed grab in the endzone for the first TD of the game. John Bates looked good catching passes from Taylor Heinicke, starting off his catching a pass and running it for 23 yards on the first drive. Bates could serve to become the number one tight end if Ricky Seals-Jones is not back by next week’s game. Adam Humphries worked well out of the slot and came in clutch on the final drive catching two passes for 22 yards and helping the Football Team get into field goal range. Terry McLaurin was the major disappointment of the game, tallying 22 yards in this game. He started off looking like he may have a good game, catching a 13 yard out, to get the team into scoring position. That was pretty much it for McLaurin, the WR1 for the Football Team. Overall McLaurin is still a play in fantasy football, but he’s definitely someone you consider maybe flexing rather than putting him in as a WR2.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Derek Carr: 28/38, 249 yards | 2 carries, 24 yards
Derek Carr had a rough outing this week, the notorious deep ball slinger only completed two of his eight attempted passes of twenty yards or more. The Raiders couldn’t get anything going for the first three drives. So we’ll pick up on the fourth drive where he completed all five of his passes for 30 yards and ran for 24 yards helping the team get a field goal. Two drives later Carr started to heat up, with passes of 15 yards to Josh Jacobs and 34 yards to Foster Moreau. This lead to a field goal for the Raiders. On the next drive, we saw Carr thread the needle with a 28-yard pass to Hunter Renfrow. After a P.I. call in the end zone, the Raiders would run the ball in for their only TD of the game. Putting them within striking distance of the lead, and setting up the next drive. Carr got back to work on the second to last drive for the Raiders. Starting the drive out with a 13-yard pass to Zay Jones, and following it up with a 16 yarder to Renfrow. This drive led to a go-ahead field goal. Setting up for the last drive of the game, this is where I felt bad for the Raiders. As Carr did everything he should have on the drive, and he took a shot to Jones that should’ve been a P.I. call, but the flag was left in the ref’s pocket.
The outcome is a rough one for the Raiders to swallow coming off the Thanksgiving day win over the Cowboys. It’s a testament to this offense really not being in sync and in some way lacking the talent needed to play their style of offense. Everyone wants to blame the QB, but the leading receiver played out of the slot and the defense was a very exploitable secondary. The Raiders need to stop playing down to other teams’ levels and start setting the tone in these easier games. Overall Carr is a boom or bust QB2.
We know what @derekcarrqb is saying#RaiderNation #Jokes pic.twitter.com/bHUo4oXcYy
— Artee (@itsartee__) December 5, 2021
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 13 carries, 52 yards, TD | 9 targets, 9 receptions, 38 yards
Kenyan Drake: 1 carry | 2 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards
Bounced outside and scampered in for six!@IAM_JoshJacobs | #ProBowlVote | FOX pic.twitter.com/FssUvrvIgb
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 5, 2021
Josh Jacobs is finally being utilized the way he needs to be, as a receiver. Jacobs ran the ball well in this game averaging 4 ypc, but the story was his receiving work. He had nine targets, the most he’s received this year. Jacobs got a one-yard TD off the back of a P.I. called in the end zone. Overall he had 90 yards on 22 touches and if he’s continued to be used the way he was in this game should be a borderline RB1 every week. Kenyan Drake on the other hand has lost more reps in the past two weeks and has drifted into irrelevance. Drake, unfortunately, suffered what appears to be a broken ankle and is done for the season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Hunter Renfrow: 10 targets, 9 receptions, 102 yards
Foster Moreau: 3 targets, 1 reception, 34 yards
Bryan Edwards: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards
Zay Jones: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards
DeSean Jackson: 1 target, 1 reception, 14 yards
Peyton Barber: 2 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
Hunter Renfrow had a day on Sunday, going for 102 yards on nine receptions. Most of his work was done in the second half, collecting 70 of his 102 yards after the first half. He had big plays left and right and took advantage of matchups with linebackers and safeties. Maybe his biggest drive was in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders were looking to tie the game, Renfrow came through a 28-yard catch, and drew a P.I. call in the endzone. This set up a Josh Jacobs rushing TD. Overall Renfrow is the best wideout on this team and the only consistent player for the Raiders, too bad he’s not the quarterback.
Everyone else on this team was a major disappointment in this ideal matchup. Bryan Edwards still can’t seem to shine in this offense. His best play came on second and 18, where he caught a pass to get all 18 yards. Foster Moreau was targeted deep in this game, coming down with one 34 yard pass. I think he could’ve been utilized better in this game, but at least they tried to get him involved. DeSean Jackson only saw one comeback route for 14 yards. This seemed like a tailor-made matchup for Jackson, but he was severely underused in this game. Zay Jones had an opportunity to get the Raiders in scoring position for a game-winning field goal on a play that could’ve easily drawn a P.I., but the refs kept the laundry in their pocket.
— Justin Herrera (@Semtexmex93 on Twitter)