What We Saw: Week 8

The QB List staff catches you up on everything you missed during Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season.

Ben Brown
What We Saw 4 Years Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Falcons @ Panthers
Rams @ Dolphins
Colts @ Lions
Jets @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Ravens
Titans @ Bengals
Vikings @ Packers
Bills @ Patriots
Raiders @ Browns
49ers @ Seahawks
Chargers @ Broncos
Saints @ Bears
Cowboys @ Eagles
Buccaneers @ Giants

Raiders @ Browns

 

The weather was awful in Cleveland. We saw rain, winds reaching up to 40 mph, sleet, snow, and maybe some hail. The Raiders and Browns struggled to move the ball and the kickers struggled to get the ball through the uprights. This game featured more overturned touchdowns than actual touchdowns. Put on your rain gear and join me on this adventure into what I saw in the Raiders 16-6 victory over the Browns.

 

 

Las Vegas Raiders

 

Quarterback

 

Derek Carr: 15/24, 112 yards, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 1 fumble | 6 carries, 41 yards

 

The weather was not kind to either quarterback in this game. Carr attempted just one deep pass, which fell incomplete. They did a decent job of playing off the run, running play-action fakes, and rolling Carr out when they looked to throw.

Carr did a decent job of taking what the weather gave him on the Raiders’ first possession. They managed to drive into Browns’ territory, but the wind pushed Daniel Carlson’s 41-yard attempt wide left (see above). Following a 3-and-out on their second possession, Carr led a 16 play, 58-yard drive that took over 8 minutes off the clock. During the drive, the Raiders set up a screen to Devontae Booker on 3rd and 18. He managed to pick up 17 yards on the play and they converted the 4th and 1 to keep the drive alive. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 10, Carr hit Ruggs in the end zone for what I thought was the 1st touchdown of the game.

 

 

The Raiders ultimately settled for a 29-yard field goal that tied the game.

Following a Browns’ 3-and-out, Carr led another long drive (12 plays, 51-yards) to end the half with another field goal to head into the half with a 6-3 lead.

On the Raiders’ first possession of the 2nd half, Carr led the Raiders on a 15 play, 75-yard drive that ate up almost 9 minutes of clock. Carr scrambled for a key 1st down on 3rd and 8 to keep the drive alive.

 

 

Carr hit Hunter Renfrow twice on the drive and then ended the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Renfrow. More on that play when we get to Renfrow.

On their following possession, it was more of the same from Carr and the Raiders as they ate clock (almost 9 minutes) on a 13 play, 74-yard drive. In terms of time of possession, the Raiders led the game 37 minutes to 22 for the Browns.

 

Running Backs

 

Josh Jacobs: 31 carries, 128 yards | 1 target

Devontae Booker: 5 carries, 29 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards

Jalen Richard: 1 carry, 6 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards

 

Josh Jacobs reminded me of an old school running back on this day. He handled the ball early and often and managed to convert 9 1st downs on his runs. He also had 8 carries of 6 yards or more. The only disappointment was he wasn’t able to find the end zone on three consecutive carries from within the 2-yard line. While it was disappointing, at the time I noted that they literally ran the exact same play to the exact same spot three times in a row. Here are a couple of Jacobs’ highlights from today.

 

 

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

 

Darren Waller: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 28 yards

Hunter Renfrow: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 26 yards, 1 TD

Jason Witten: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards

Henry Ruggs III: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards | 1 carry, 1 yard

Nelson Agholor: 2 targets

Foster Moreau: 1 target

 

The only target Darren Waller didn’t catch in this game was on the opening drive. He was wide open on a crossing route on 2nd and 6 and the ball just fell out of his hands. Otherwise, it was a fairly unspectacular game for Waller.

Hunter Renfrow had the biggest “catch” of the game for the Raiders. I have quotes around catch for a reason. It really looked like this ball hit the ground, much like Jarvis Landry’s first drop in the end zone, but see for yourself.

 

 

As we should’ve expected, the guys that get targeted downfield, Ruggs and Agholar, had tough games. Ruggs actually had what I thought was a touchdown reception, but apparently, he didn’t get the second foot in-bounds.

 

Cleveland Browns

 

Quarterback

 

Baker Mayfield: 12/25, 122 yards | 6 carries, 29 yards

 

This analysis comes with the same weather caveat as we had with Derek Carr. The line for Mayfield looks bad, but we cannot put it all on him. I counted at least 4 balls that hit Jarvis Landry’s hands (including two balls in the end zone), a bad drop from Njoku, and an early fumble by Harrison Bryant really stymied any momentum the Browns had.

On the first possession, Mayfield had led the Browns into Raiders territory before Bryant fumbled. On the Browns second possession, Mayfield led the team on a 14 play, 60-yard drive that included a QB sneak on 4th and 1 to keep the drive alive. Ultimately, the team settled for a field goal.

The Browns once against started marching on their first possession of the 2nd Half. After connecting with Jarvis Landry once on the drive, Mayfield looked to have done it again for the touchdown, but upon further review, the call was overturned. The Browns settled for another field goal.

 

https://twitter.com/BBPodOfficial/status/1322988922243321858

 

Following a 4-and-out, the Browns were running out of time. Down 16-6, they started to drive once again. Mayfield got them down to the Raiders 14-yard line. On 3rd and 15, Landry had his hands on another would-be touchdown before getting smashed between three defenders. Cody Parkey missed the 37-yard field goal attempt and the Raiders took the ball and ran the clock out.

 

 

Running Backs

 

Kareem Hunt: 14 carries, 66 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards

D’Ernest Johnson: 2 carries, 6 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

 

Kareem Hunt played 42 of the Browns 49 snaps, while D’Ernest Johnson saw the field on just 6 snaps.

While watching the game I noticed two things. Number one is that the Browns kept running sweeps for Hunt. Occasionally it was working, but for the most part, the Raiders did a good job of stopping Hunt on the sweep. I know the Browns have been without their best offensive lineman, Wyatt Teller, but they seemed scared to run the ball up the middle at times. The second thing I noticed came early in the second half. The weather in this game was awful. I expected both teams to hunker down and lean on the run, but in the 2nd Half, the stat flashed that Hunt had just 8 carries to that point. Granted, the Browns ran just 22 offensive plays in the 1st Half, but it just surprised me that they didn’t get the ball in their best playmakers’ hands. Frankly, I was surprised the Browns didn’t try and set up any screenplays for Hunt to try and get the ball into his hands with blockers ahead of him.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

 

Jarvis Landry: 11 targets, 4 receptions, 52 yards

Harrison Bryant: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 25 yards, 1 fumble lost

David Njoku: 3 targets, 1 reception, 19 yards

Rashard Higgins: 3 targets, 1 reception, 14 yards

Andy Janovich: 1 target

 

Jarvis Landry dominated the target share in this nasty weather. He had a couple of standout plays.

 

 

 

The standout plays were excellent, but he had 4 drops that I counted, including two would-be touchdowns and another on 2nd & 13 that would’ve resulted in a 1st down in the red zone.

 

 

Just one week removed from Harrison Bryant’s breakout game, he had a week to forget. The Browns were driving on their first possession when Bryant fumbled following a 6-yard completion. He and David Njoku had weeks to forget as Njoku had a costly drop on 3rd and 8 early in the 4th quarter.

 

— Rich Holman (@RichardoPL83 on Twitter)

Series Navigation
Introduction
Falcons @ Panthers
Rams @ Dolphins
Colts @ Lions
Jets @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Ravens
Titans @ Bengals
Vikings @ Packers
Bills @ Patriots
Raiders @ Browns
49ers @ Seahawks
Chargers @ Broncos
Saints @ Bears
Cowboys @ Eagles
Buccaneers @ Giants

One response to “What We Saw: Week 8”

  1. Geoffrey Laux says:
    December 1, 2020 at 5:27 am

    Really good website, thank you very much for showing us

    Reply

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