National Football League

PFF Recap: Grading the Oakland Raiders in Week 7

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:05 a.m. ET

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Reactions to PFF’s grades of the Oakland Raiders after their Week 7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After getting punched in the mouth against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders (5-2) turned the tables on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4), ultimately pinning them against the ropes in a lopsided 33-16 victory.

Former Jaguars head coach and current Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was happy to add another positive memory on EverBank Field.

“Well, A lot of great memories here,” Del Rio said, via Raiders.com. “It was great to spend nine years raising the family and being blessed with the opportunity to lead the Jaguar’ franchise. I was very appreciative of that time. I met a lot of good folks here; a lot of good memories, a lot of good friends. It is good to come back here and get a good effort in this stadium.”

Here, we dive into the efforts of the Raiders in their Week 7 win over the Jaguars, specifically taking a closer look at how ProFootballFocus.com graded Oakland’s top performers.

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) holds back Oakland Raiders tackle Donald Penn (72) as umpire Shawn Smith (14) approaches during the second half of a football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. The Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line Paves the Way for Carr’s Success

The Raiders’ offensive line, nicknamed “Carr Insurance” by Raiders.com, again exceeded expectations against Jacksonville, preventing the Jaguars’ defense from logging even one sack on quarterback Derek Carr.

Four of the five Raiders’ offensive linemen finished with top five grades against Jacksonville, per PFF.com.

Due in large part to the protection, Carr earned a 77.1 overall grade from PFF.com, completing 23 of 37 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.

Though Carr’s performance was on pace with some of his previous stat lines, he repeatedly made good decisions with the football, ultimately orchestrating seven scoring drives.

The Raiders’ offensive line carried the momentum to the ground game, as the Raiders’ slew of backs turned 34 carries into 144 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.

Relentless in their efforts to bully the Jaguars’ front seven, the Raiders’ offensive line easily won the battle at the line of scrimmage, effectively wearing down Jacksonville’s defense because of their unmatched physicality.

Jaguars defensive end Jared Odrick was one of many Jacksonville defenders that fell victim to the Raiders’ offensive line during the echo of the whistle.

Consistency in the trenches has directly led to the Raiders’ success this season, and unfortunately for defenders like Odrick, it’s showing no signs of stopping.

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) escapes a tackle as Jacksonville Jaguars strong safety Johnathan Cyprien (37) closes in during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Cooper Passes the Torch to Crabtree, For Now

Though Oakland walked away from their Week 6 affair with the Kansas City Chiefs with the loss, Raiders second-year receiver Amari Cooper torched the Chiefs’ passing defense, bringing in 10 of 13 targets for 129 yards.

Because of his performance, Cooper drew the Jaguars’ top cornerback, rookie Jalen Ramsey. The first-round pick lived up to expectations, holding Cooper to just four receptions for 29 yards.

Opposite of Cooper, Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree picked up the slack.

Crabtree brought in 8 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown, ultimately embarrassing Jacksonville’s No. 2 cornerback Prince Amukamara.

According to PFF.com, Crabtree earned the third highest offensive grade on the team (78.5).

“They did a great job,” Del Rio said. “Michael Crabtree made some incredible plays today for us. There was one early in the game on third down where the ball was out way before he turned his head around and he made a tremendous play there for a third down conversion. Throughout the game he came up big for us and I thought he play[ed] really, really well for us. Obviously our quarterback is a good player. He did a good job for us hooking up with different receivers, but today Carr to Crabtree was special.”

Adding to his total with that “tremendous play” on third down, Crabtree has registered 11 receptions for first downs on third down, tying for second place in the NFL behind Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb, via The Washington Post.

His counterpart Cooper shares the second place nomination.

With two top-tier talents on the outside, opposing defenses are forced to place their No. 1 cornerback on one of the Raiders’ elite outside receivers.

The Jaguars rolled the dice on having Ramsey shadow Cooper; Crabtree rolled over Amukamara, ultimately leading the Raiders to a victory.

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) blocks Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Perry Riley (54) so that Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee (11) can run the ball during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. The Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders Find Hidden Treasure in Perry Riley Jr.

The broken record continues to play in Oakland, as veteran linebacker Perry Riley Jr., a former Washington Redskin who joined the team the week prior to their Week 5 matchup against the Chargers, has finished atop the Raiders’ defense in three consecutive weeks.

Riley Jr. earned the team’s tops defensive grade (85.4), again. In 150 total defensive snaps this season, he has emerged as PFF’s fifth best linebacker in the NFL.

Entering the 2016 season, the Raiders hoped they could lean on second-year project Ben Heeney and Smith to anchor the middle of their defense, but because of Riley Jr.’s recent success, he has taken over as the Raiders’ man in the middle.

With just 12 tackles in three games (two against Jacksonville), Riley Jr. isn’t turning heads because of his production, but his presence in coverage has prevented opposing offenses from finding mismatches with their tight ends and running backs.

In 89 coverage snaps, Riley Jr. has earned an 82.4 overall grade, per PFF.com.

With rookie linebacker Corey James also thrown in the mix, Riley Jr. has single-handedly added both depth and a noticeable spark to what was the Raiders’ worst position group.

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (53) breaks up a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas (80) during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. The Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Malcolm Smith and David Amerson Rebound

Raiders linebacker Malcolm Smith underperformed during the first six weeks of the season, earning poor grades week after week.

Taking a different approach in Jacksonville, Smith finally enters the headline in a positive light.

The veteran linebacker led the team with six solo tackles and earned his best single-game grade of the season (83.4).

In an effort to become more than just a flash in the pan, Smith must string together consecutive strong performances if he is going to dig himself out of the seven-week hole that nearly forced him out of the starting lineup.

Prior to his performance in Jacksonville, Smith ranked 82nd among the 85 eligible linebackers, according to PFF.com. Due in large part to his play on Sunday, he has jumped up to No. 60 on that list.

Though he never dropped to Smith’s level, Amerson fell in PFF’s rankings because of his underwhelming play in recent weeks, but he too rebounded against the Jaguars.

Amerson earned the second highest defensive grade on the team (84.3), holding Jaguars top receiver Allen Robinson to just two receptions for nine yards.

Building a presence both in the middle and outside the hashes of their defense, Smith and Amerson’s play will often dictate the Raiders’ success defensively.

The two built a brick wall on Sunday.

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) is sacked by Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. The Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders’ Edge-Rushers Meet Expectations

The Raiders’ edge-rushers, Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack, entered Sunday’s contest with an opportunity to bully the Jaguars’ banged-up offensive line, as both of Jacksonville’s tackles missed practice during the previous week.

Irvin and Mack answered the call, walking off the field with the Jaguars’ boundary offensive linemen’s lunch money.

According to PFF.com, Irvin and Mack earned 77.0 and 75.7 overall grades, respectively.

Though the two totaled just four combined tackles and one sack, they applied constant pressure on Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and played a huge part in limiting the Jacksonville’s rushing attack.

Fearing for his life, Bortles completed just 23 of 43 passes for 246 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in route to a 37.2 overall grade from PFF.com.

Excluding his 42-yard run that occurred early in the game, Jaguars lead back Chris Ivory carried the ball five times for six yards, and when removing second year back T.J. Yeldon’s 15-yard scamper, he carried the ball five times for nine yards.

Mack hinted that his coaching staff and preparation backed what he believes was the Raiders’ best defensive showing of the season.

“We are on the same page, we played well all around and it was a cool effort out there today,” Mack said. “The coaches prepared us getting ready for the game, we studied and fortunately we came out on top.”