Las Vegas Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles
Final Score: Eagles 31, Raiders 0
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
This was a get-right game for the Eagles, who had lost their last three straight coming in. The Birds opened the game up with a clinical 13-play drive, with Jalen Hurts doing a little shovel pass to Dallas Goedert for the touchdown. Kenny Pickett got his first start as a Raider against his former team, and worked his offense 41 yards into Philly territory, but an aggressive decision to go for it on fourth down failed and left the Raiders empty-handed. This would be the Raiders’ only drive over 30 yards, as the Eagles’ defense was suffocating and fully took away the downfield passing game. Philly was methodical throughout the game, but there was a nice deep ball for DeVonta Smith and a 29-yard seed to A.J. Brown for a touchdown. Saquon Barkley punched in a short touchdown, and Goedert had a second shovel-pass TD later on. It was clear that the Raiders were deflated and letting the game slip away by the mid-third quarter.
One Up
- Dallas Goedert — His third double-TD game of the season, and second straight game with at least six receptions for 70 or more yeards.
Two Down
- Ashton Jeanty — Vegas abandoned the run game, and couldn’t find a way to get him the ball through the air.
- Brock Bowers — Had limited ability to get down the field, and Philly’s secondary was ready for the short stuff.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Kenny Pickett: 15/25, 64 Yards, 1 INT | 2 Carries, 7 Yards
For the most part, Kenny Pickett played an alright game. He was stuck with the pass rush getting to him on nearly every dropback, which resulted in a number of checkdowns and panicked throws. The one time he finally was able to step up in the pocket and take a shot downfield, he left it horribly underthrown, which allowed Zach Baun to intercept it from Brock Bowers. We know Pickett isn’t exactly someone to carry their team, and team vibes are horrendous at this point in the season, not to mention the change at OC.
Running Back
Ashton Jeanty: 9 Carries, 35 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 7 Yards
Just like it’s been for much of the season, Ashton Jeanty shows signs of getting every yard he can with what’s given to him but there’s no real opportunity to break a run off. His line doesn’t quite get much push off the line of scrimmage, nor does it create creases for him to gain speed through into the second level. All of his targets were checkdowns, and the two incompletions weren’t easily catchable. It’s tough sledding in bad matchups for the rookie, especially when there’s no manufactured touches in the passing game and the run game is abandoned early.
Dylan Laube: 2 Carries, 4 Yards
Raheem Mostert: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 28 Yards
Philly’s pass rush took away the ability for Brock Bowers to really work down the field. With most of his catches being in the short areas and flats, the linebackers and defensive backs rallied quickly to bring him down before getting many yards after the catch. He could’ve had a 20-plus-yarder where he beat Zach Baun and got past him, but Pickett left the ball too short to make a play on it.
Tyler Lockett: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
It wasn’t a flashy day, but Tyler Lockett showed that his veteran toolset is still as crisp as ever. He left Cooper DeJean in the dust on a nasty out route. He had a ball intended for him that was deflected at the line of scrimmage, and another deeper pass that didn’t have enough zip to get to him before the corner came in to break it up. The offense is struggling too much to be a reliable start, but Week 17 against the Giants could be an interesting option if you’re in a bind at WR.
Jack Bech: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Tre Tucker: 3 Targets, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 12/15, 175 Yards, 3 TDs | 7 Carries, 39 Yards
After a career high in turnovers last week, the intention of the play calls was clearly to keep Jalen Hurts comfortable and settled in. The offense was much better at getting to the line of scrimmage faster, which helped for some more motions and diagnosing during presnap. He made decent decisions on his RPOs and read options, but there wasn’t a lot asked of him through the air. He had an awkward slide later in the game that he looked to be very shaken up, but he came back in for his last throw to be a dime to A.J. Brown for a touchdown. He was benched the rest of the game, up 31-0 in the fourth, but there is still cause for concern that his injury could linger and be aggravated during practices or in future games.
Tanner McKee: 3/3, 33 Yards | 1 Carries, 9 Yards
Tanner McKee is a solid backup QB with some upside should Hurts miss any time. We’ve seen him play steady and consistent in preseason and prior seasons. Absolutely keep McKee on your watch list in two-QB formats, or even a streamer candidate if he were to get a start.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 22 Carries, 78 Yards, 1 TD | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
It was actually a lot of the same as it has been for Saquon Barkley. He hasn’t really found the opportunity for the long, breakaway runs that he had last season. Ball possession played in his favor, as he got 20-plus carries for the fifth time this season. He showed flashes that he’s still got that lightning bottled up, but the scheme and injuries to the offensive line have capped his ceiling. Don’t fret about Tank Bigsby‘s stat line, it was all Saquon until he was benched in the fourth quarter.
Tank Bigsby: 17 Carries, 57 Yards | 1 Target, 0 Receptions
It’s odd that the Eagles don’t employ him more as a change-of-pace back. Tank Bigsby showed some of that strength and explosiveness on his few carries while the game was still semicompetitive. Once Philly was up 31-0 and the starters were benched, Bigsby was given 13 carries on a 17-play drive to run the clock out. Similar to McKee, Bigsby is a high-end handcuff who would need an injury to propel him into a fantasy-startable role.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Dallas Goedert: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 70 Yards, 2 TDs
Dallas Goedert was all over the field in this one. It started off with a shovel-pass TD from 4 yards out, and a lot of play-action bootlegs to him in the flats. As the game progressed, he had more opportunities down the field. There was a nice deep out with some YAC for 32 yards, before he caught his second shovel-pass TD.
DeVonta Smith: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 50 Yards
Sunday was a cardio day for the outside WRs. There wasn’t much of an effort in the game plan to get the ball downfield, but Hurts went to DeVonta Smith on a fade for 43 yards. He had previously made a diving catch for only 7 yards, but both catches came in the first half before disappearing in the second half.
A.J. Brown: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 41 Yards, 1 TD
It was almost the inverse of Smith’s day for A.J. Brown. He didn’t have a catch in the first half, but had both in the second half. One was a slant, and the other was his 27-yard post that he caught for a TD. There was a deep ball thrown his way on the opening drive, but the underthrown ball helped draw a defensive pass interference. It could be concerning that the Eagles find a way to lose whenever he’s gone for 100 yards, but his quieter games have typically been wins.
Darius Cooper: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards
Grant Calcaterra: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards