Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: Rams 20, Raiders 15
Writer: Jason Wolf (J_Wolf_Picks on Twitter)
If you’re a fan of offensive firepower and electrifying touchdown passes… this was not the game for you. Both QB Matthew Stafford and previously benched QB Gardner Minshew each threw for 154 scoreless yards and zero touchdowns. After 25 minutes of play, the Raiders were up 3-0, as both teams were looking lackluster on the offensive side of the ball. Between the injury absences of star WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and the departure via trade of Davante Adams, this game lacked star power, which sometimes made it feel like a slog. Both teams’ starting RBs did some heavy lifting, with Alexander Mattison and Kyren Williams combining for 47 touches, racking up a collective 199 yards and two touchdowns. Kyren came away with the touchdowns and the win, while Mattison was slightly more effective with his opportunities. It took a while for the Rams to find their offense, but they relied on Williams and a short, quick-hitting passing game to move the ball. With the help of a defensive touchdown off a Gardner Minshew fumble, the Rams went on a 20-3 scoring run and were able to hold off the feisty Raiders, who had to settle for two field goals inside the red zone in the fourth quarter which made all the difference in the one-possession, 20-15 Rams win.
Two Up
- Brock Bowers – In the Raiders’ first game in the post-Davante Adams universe, passes were funneled through their ultra-talented TE Brock Bowers. Bowers saw a career-high 14 targets on the day, coming down with a career-high 10 receptions for 93 yards and the third 90+ yard game of his young career. Bowers was all over the field, flying around in pre-snap motion and catching passes on the left, right, and middle parts of the field. Without Adams, the Raiders are bereft of playmaking talent on the offense, so they will have to constantly feed Bowers, who looks like Gronk-esque with the football in his hands. Bowers is a franchise cornerstone talent, and the Raiders are starting to get better at finding ways to utilize his talents.
- Tutu Atwell – In a game where Matthew Stafford only threw 23 times, Tutu Atwell drew a whopping nine targets, good for almost a 40% target share (39.1%). Atwell didn’t produce a monster game by any means, but the Rams were running the ball more than they were throwing, and Stafford only threw for 154 yards. Atwell accounting for 40% of the targets and 33% of passing yardage is noteworthy when both start WR’s Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are out. With an uptick in targets over the past two weeks (averaging 9.5/game in that stretch), Atwell appears to be the most reliable receiver in the Rams’ WR room when their #1 and #2 guys are out.
Two Down
- Raiders Receivers – Sans Davante Adams, the Raiders don’t have a clear-cut WR1 on their depth chart. Jakobi Meyers is now the steady veteran presence in the receiver group, and his experience and route-running prowess will certainly be a boost for whoever is under center when he returns to action. Without Meyers in this one, Tre Tucker and DJ Turner combined to see 15 targets but only managed to snag a combined five receptions for 49 receiving yards. The instability and subpar play at the QB position will surely limit all of the receivers’ abilities to produce with any consistency.
- Matthew Stafford– Sean McVay didn’t ask Matt Stafford to do much in this one other than to read the defense and hit his receivers in good timing with accuracy. The vast majority of his pass attempts were quick hitters, and he handed the ball off 25 times, more than he threw. He still has plenty of arm talent and can zip balls in, but without his elite WR duo of Kupp and Nacua, McVay is clearly happy to lean on Kyren Williams and the run game to get things done. Stafford has only passed for 300 yards one time in six games, and he has yet to record a multi-TD game. Stafford can’t be relied upon to deliver big numbers with regularity anymore, at least not until the Rams are at full strength offensively.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Aidan O’Connell: 6/10. 52 Yards
The most meaningful pass attempt in Aidan O’Connell‘s 12th career start came late in the first quarter on an incomplete pass that was hurried due to the unrelenting Rams pass rush. O’Connell jammed his right thumb against the defender’s hand on the follow through, and just like that, his throwing thumb is now broken. He was looking decent on his first ten passes, though he could have been more accurate on his second attempt where he had WR DJ Turner open at the top of his route, but O’Connell couldn’t quite put the ball where it needed to be, sailing the ball over Turner’s head. It would have been a plus throw, but it was one of the rare, entirely clean pockets that a Raiders QB faced all game. O’Connell showed good timing with TE Brock Bowers, who caught two passes on O’Connell’s opening drive. O’Connell also overlooked an open receiver on 3rd & 5 on the Raiders’ first drive, instead forcing a throw to covered WR Tre Tucker when DJ Turner was open on his slant in the short middle. O’Connell might be one of the most immobile QBs in the league, as he has yet to record a single scramble rush attempt in his career.
Notes
- Picked up his injury with five minutes left in the first quarter and is now facing a multi-week (month?) absence. Bad luck for the young QB, who needs snaps and opportunities to work on his game.
Gardner Minshew: 15/34, 154 Yards, 3 INT | 1 Rush, 2 Yards, 1 Fumble (lost)
Despite being benched after his performance through five weeks, Garder Minshew was yet again the QB for the Raiders as he came into the game late in the first quarter after starter Aidan O’Connell picked up the thumb injury in his throwing hand. Even though he did not start this game, Minshew still accounted for four turnovers, throwing three interceptions to go along with a crucial lost fumble, which was recovered and returned for a Rams defensive touchdown. Minshew’s turnovers in this one provided plenty of justification for Raiders’ HC Antonio Pierce’s benching of Minshew in favor of giving O’Connell a chance. On his first of three INTs of the game, Minshew made an inexcusable mistake five minutes before halftime as pressure arrived early, forcing him out of the pocket where he made a bad decision to throw while running back and off his back foot right into the hands of the Rams defender. Minshew did not have a man open and completely and unnecessarily forced the issue. The interception came at a time when the Raiders were up 3-0, facing 3rd & 8 at midfield while the Rams hadn’t yet sustained a solid offensive drive. Pinning the Rams back could have given the Raiders a chance to go into halftime with the lead, but instead, the INT led to a short field and the Rams’ first TD of the game. The drive after that, Minshew fumbled the ball on a sack, and it was picked up for a scoop and score by Los Angeles, and in the blink of an eye, the Rams were up 14-3. Minshew’s turnovers were highly avoidable, and they directly led to the Rams putting up the majority of their points, as all three of their touchdowns were directly preceded by Minshew’s turnovers. O’Connell started the game and flashed the ability to somewhat manage a game through pressure, but Minshew struggled with it all game long. It wasn’t all bad for Minshew, though, as he showed some ability to read the defense pre-snap and try to take what the defense was giving him, but his accuracy isn’t consistent enough to deliver balls in tight windows to his guys where only they can make a play on it. Minshew does some things better than O’Connell, but he doesn’t have the physical tools like the big arm, and he doesn’t have as much upside. Minshew isn’t the answer long-term for the Raiders, and O’Connell needs reps in live games, so Minshew just might be a tank commander for the rest of this year since O’Connell could be facing an extended absence.
Notes
- Did have one interception that bounced off his receiver’s hands, so it wasn’t completely his fault on one of his turnovers. It wasn’t the most perfect pass, but the receiver still should have done better to either come down with the ball or not pop it up in the air for the defender to grab.
- Minshew was under pressure all night. Two rookies started along the Raiders OL, and the Rams have struck gold yet again on defense with rookie EDGE Jared Verse. Verse had nine QB pressures himself this game, and Minshew was getting hit. This game would have been a tough one for Aidan O’Connell and a lot of other QBs going up against this pass rush.
Running Back
Alexander Mattison: 23 Rush, 92 yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 31 Yards
Alexander Mattison absolutely dominated the Raiders’ RB opportunities and touches, getting the rock 26 times, while Zamir White only saw four touches (3 Rush / 1 target). Mattison has proven to be capable of handling 20+ carries while taking care of the ball, a valuable asset in today’s NFL. All things considered, with his offensive line going against the Rams and their impressive front 7, Mattison had an impressive, if not unspectacular, game. He is a steady and reliable presence coming out of the backfield for an inconsistent Raiders offense. He again proved his sure hands, bringing in three receptions on three targets for 31 yards, making it eight straight completions across two weeks. He’s hauled in 13 of his last 15 targets and has become a surprisingly reliable pass catcher out of the backfield. He’s not the most explosive runner, and he’s most effective as a between-the-tackles bruiser, taking what’s there and doing his best to fall forward, While he’s not that speedy outside RB, when they did run Mattison outside, it worked extremely well, picking up 20 yards on two carries. The surprise factor played a role in those, as the defense wasn’t expecting it. Mattison totaled 31 of his 92 rushing yards on the Raiders’ first scoring drive of the game, leading them on the way to points at a time when they badly needed it. Mattison had some impressive runs, such as the angry run that came in the first quarter, where he took initial contact five yards down the field and trucked his way through defenders and teammates alike for another 10 yards after contact. He displayed super strength to keep his momentum going forward and keep his feet chugging through the pile of massive dudes in front of him. He followed that up on his next attempt with a 10+ yard carry that came courtesy of a decisive little juke that made the first man miss.
Notes
- He had a nice run that was called back due to offensive holding in the first quarter. A nice 10+ yard gain didn’t count for a relatively iffy holding call.
Missed Opportunities
- Could have had an even bigger day on the stat sheet, as he should have had more chances to convert on a goal-to-go opportunity. The Raiders got down to the Rams’ 4-yard line late in the game, and after getting a 1st & goal from the four, the Raiders threw the ball three consecutive times, failing to give Mattison a chance (or two) to convert a short-yardage situation.
Zamir White: 3 Rush, 13 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Zamir White saw only three rushes on the day, going for 13 yards. Most of his production (9-yard rush + 14-yard rec.) came on a Raiders’ drive in the early 4th quarter. White made a couple of nice plays; they should be bringing him in more for a change of pace and a chance to make plays in the passing game. Mattison is solid, but he can be even more effective if he’s kept fresh. Even if they don’t take touches away from Mattison, they should be finding ways to get White involved on offense. He’s not made for an interior rush game but should be utilized better to get him the ball in space to see what he can do.
Notes
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Had a nice 10-yard gain wiped out by an offensive holding call.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 14 Targets, 10 Receptions, 93 Yards
Brock Bowers, already one of the premier players at his position, broke the record for most catches by a rookie TE through 7 games in NFL history. Only fitting he had a career game as he finished the Week 7 tilt against the Rams with a career-high 10 receptions for 93 yards on a career-high 14 targets. He showed good rapport with both Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Bowers made two catches on the Raiders’ first drive and never looked back. He started taking over when the Raiders were marching down the field down one possession late in the fourth quarter. On the Raiders’ 7+ minute drive, he caught four balls for 30 yards. His first step off the LOS as a receiver is jarringly quick for such a big guy. Credit to the coaches, as Antonio Pierce and crew have really started to improve when it comes to utilizing the many strengths and abilities of Bowers. His usage wasn’t so inspired in the early weeks, but in this game, he was flying all over the place in pre-snap motion, and he was running routes from the left, right, and middle of the field. When he’s got the ball in space, he is Gronk-esque, gliding down the field, just eating yards at a jaw-dropping pace. On his long gain of 26 yards, he caught the ball two yards past the LOS and simply outran the defense, sprinting toward and down the sideline for 20+ yards after the catch untouched on the simple catch-and-run. His longest reception of the day was 26 yards, and it all came from Bowers’ unique combo of size and speed. The Raiders should be throwing him the ball deep more but are ill-equipped to do so as they are limited at the QB position and can’t take full advantage of Bowers’ talents just yet.
Notes
- Bowers almost came down with a 10+ yard reception in the red zone, but the defender made a nice play and also got away with a little defensive holding on the route. Minshew made a good enough throw, but the defender did well in coverage to break it up.
Tre Tucker: 8 Targets, 3 Receptions, 36 Yards | 1 Rush, 11 Yards
Tre Tucker was targeted a receiver-high eight times but was only able to come down with three receptions for 36 yards. Tucker had a mostly inefficient day given his output and target share that he commanded in this game. Historically speaking, he has made a name as a deep ball specialist / big play guy, but he hasn’t been able to connect with either QB for a big gain reliably. His longest reception of the day was 15 yards, which is a number you would like to see a lot higher as a Raider fan or coach. Tucker did have his weekly designed run play called for him, which went for 11 yards. He is their most dangerous weapon in space, and they need to keep cooking up ways to get him the ball with momentum. Coming into this game, Tucker was technically the “WR1” with no Davante Adams or Jakobi Meyers in this one, but his stat line, as well as the impact on the game definitely didn’t live up to the hype.
DJ Turner: 7 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards | 1 Rush, 4 Yards
DJ Turner saw the third-most targets on the team with seven. Had the most inefficient targets on the team, as he was only able to come down with two receptions despite the large target share. He did put a nice move on a defender to shake him off on his long gain of the day of 10 yards.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 14/23, 154 Yards, INT
Throughout his 16 seasons in the NFL, Matthew Stafford did something in today’s game that he had only done once before, a rarity for someone who has been doing it for this long. Not only was the 154 passing yard output a Rams-tenure low for Stafford, but it was the first time he passed for sub-200 yards and won a game as a Ram. However, it was also only the second time that Stafford had ever won a game in which he passed for less than 155 yards. He was 1-8 in all previous instances. Stafford was a game manager in this one, using mostly short, quick passes to move the chains and to complement a healthy dose of Kyren Williams, who Stafford gave the ball to over 20 times. Stafford only attempted two passes (both incomplete) that traveled 20+ yards all game, putting light reps on his back and shoulders and going ways to keep him fresh for when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp come back. Stafford didn’t deliver a box-score-stuffing performance, but he maneuvered pressure from the Raiders’ pass rush and managed the game well enough to get the win. Things could have gotten a bit dicey if the Raiders could get out of their way, but Stafford did what was required to get the job done. He did make one uncharacteristic mistake on his only turnover of the game. Stafford tried to force the ball in between two defenders. The guy in front of his receiver tipped the ball, and the defender behind the receiver caught the deflected pass for the INT. Stafford’s decision to throw the ball there wasn’t the best, and the delivery itself wasn’t the greatest, either. A rare mental mistake from Stafford in a game where they could have easily lost if the Raiders executed better in a couple of different spots.
Notes
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Humorously tackled the wrong guy on the INT run-back. Stafford made the effort to put himself in position to make the tackle on the returning defender but tackled his teammate without the ball next to him.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 21 Rush, 76 Yards, 2 TD
Kyren Williams yet again did everything for the Rams, carrying the ball 21 times for 76 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7 against the Raiders. Kyren’s final numbers weren’t gaudy by any means, but what is gaudy is his ability to score touchdowns. This game marks nine straight games with a TD, the third-longest such streak in NFL history. As if it was any question at this point, Kyren has a stranglehold on this backfield. Blake Corum was the only other RB to register a carry, rushing the ball three times for 11 yards. The only knock you could say at this point is that Kyren’s involvement in the passing game is underwhelming, but if his lack of passing game duties keeps him fresh and effective during his time carrying the ball, then McVay probably knows what he’s doing in not adding additional hits to Kyren’s plate. Kyren is a tough, physical runner who is dangerous when he gets to the second level of the defense. He is not afraid of contact at all and even seeks it out at times, crashing into LBs and teammates alike to pick up some extra yards when he can. He didn’t have any game-breaking or big, explosive plays in this one, as his longest carry of the day went for 14 yards, but his carries were effective at wearing the defense down and keeping the chains moving. The Raiders’ defense was also doing a very good job limiting the Rams’ ground game, holding Los Angeles to 115 yards on 30 rushes, good for a sub-4.0 YPC. Even though the Raiders were containing Kyren, he was also consistently getting some positive yards, and that consistency was enough to wear the Raiders down a little bit to open opportunities for some bigger plays for the Rams offense. His ability to take 20+ touches and churn out yardage while protecting the football is super valuable to this Rams team with endless injuries on the offensive side of the ball, and right now, he is the engine that keeps the offense going.
Blake Corum: 3 Rush, 11 Yards
Blake Corum, the man some were worried would significantly eat into Kyren Williams’ touches, was the only other Rams RB to register a carry in this one, as he tallied 11 yards on three rushes. Corum didn’t receive a target in the passing game either, so he’s not impeding on any of Kyren’s ability to do that. He is a very far behind RB2 behind Kyren.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tutu Atwell: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 51 Yards
The opening drive was a sign of things to come as Tutu Atwell led the Rams in targets with nine. The next leading receiver had seven targets (Tyler Johnson). Atwell saw three of the first four targets of the game, catching two of three for 24 yards on the first drive. He and Tyler Johnson combined to soak up 16 out of 23 total Matt Stafford pass attempts. The output relative to the targets received was surprisingly poor, even though they are the Rams’ #3 and arguably #5 WR on the depth chart. Atwell had a WR screen called for him, putting the ball in his hands when the Rams needed a play on a 3rd & 6. That play showed how McVay values Atwell as a weapon for the offense. Seeing 19 targets over the past two weeks, Tutu’s usage and yards have gone up. As long as the Rams’ star WR duo is inactive, Atwell’s numbers should continue to benefit as the most consistent and familiar WR left standing.
Tyler Johnson: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 57 Yards
Tyler Johnson made an impressive play when he caught the ball two yards past the LOS but broke the attempted arm tackle and sped his way to a 37-yard gain on the simple catch and run. He beat Jack Jones on the play, who may have overcommitted to the pass breakup, but Johnson still decisively turned and took off running with no thought to what was awaiting him on the second level. Saw the second-most targets on the team and finished with the team-high in reception yards on a day where Stafford threw for only 154 yards. Johnson received a near 40% target share, so the output is a little underwhelming, but the usage is very encouraging if the Rams’ receivers were to miss more time.
Demarcus Robinson: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 yards
Demarcus Robinson was targeted on three passing attempts, coming down with one reception for 9 yards. Robinson was who most people were expecting to step up in the absence of Kupp and Nacua, but that hasn’t been the case so far.
Xavier Johnson: 2 Rush, 30 Yards
The receiver had his name called on two plays, both rushes, gaining 30 yards on his two attempts. Xavier Johnson‘s long gain of 24 yards came midway through the third quarter, and he did a great job of flashing his speed with the ball. Had two rush attempts, but the receiver didn’t see a target in the passing game.
Colby Parkinson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards