National Football League

PFF Recap: Grading the Oakland Raiders in Week 4

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:24 p.m. ET

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Reactions to PFF’s grades of the Oakland Raiders after their Week 4 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Oakland Raiders (3-1) earned their third consecutive win on the road over the formerly undefeated Baltimore Ravens (3-1) in a dogfight that would ultimately come to a close because of a defensive stand from a heavily doubted Raiders defense.

Here’s a look at what ProFootballFocus.com had to say about the Raiders’ 28-27 win in Baltimore.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) runs for yardage against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders’ Bullies in the Trenches Rise to the Occasion

With 2016 seventh-round pick Vadal Alexander earning the nod at right tackle due to injuries to veterans Menelik Watson and Austin Howard, the rest of the Raiders’ offensive line needed to accommodate for the former LSU guard’s inexperience.

Oakland’s big men up front did exactly that, often putting Ravens defenders on their backs in response to Alexander’s mental miscues and mistakes.

Former Ravens offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele led the charge as the Raiders’ highest graded offensive linemen (80.8) on the day, as he continued to hold strong in pass protection and put defenders on their backs.

Raiders offensive tackle Donald Penn (77.5) and center Rodney Hudson (71.4) finished as Oakland’s fourth and fifth highest graded offensive players, respectively.

The Ravens’ star-studded linebackers bested Oakland when defending the run, allowing just 62 total yards on the ground, but the Raiders didn’t allow their momentum to carry over to the passing game.

Oakland allowed zero sacks against Baltimore, and are leading the NFL with just two sacks allowed through four games this season.

Though a majority of the work done in the trenches goes unnoticed, Raiders sophomore receiver Amari Cooper made an effort to admire Oakland’s offensive line shortly after the game.

“These guys work really hard,” Cooper, via Raiders.com. “It doesn’t matter what they go through, they are ready to fight for the team. As receivers and running backs, we want to make plays for those guys. It doesn’t make sense for them to have a clean pocket for Derek [Carr], and we don’t make plays.”

As Cooper and company bask in the limelight, the Raiders’ front five will continue to make ends meet for the Silver and Black.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr. (89) is tackled by Oakland Raiders cornerbacks D.J. Hayden (25) and David Amerson (29) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Hayden: Bench Warmer Turned Slot Performer

Raiders veteran cornerback D.J. Hayden rarely sees his name attached to a positive headline, as the 2013 first-round pick has crumbled beneath high expectations for the majority of his career.

Fortunately for Hayden, every dog has his day.

Hayden, a former Houston product, has turned what was a premiere bench role in 2015 into a full-time position in the slot.

With starting cornerback David Amerson and Sean Smith getting the job done on the outside as of late, Hayden has seen a lot of targets come his way in the first three weeks, and with that experience, he has blossomed into something special inside the hashes.

According to PFF.com, Hayden amassed the third-highest defensive grade for the Raiders on Sunday.

Despite having just one pass deflection, Hayden performed well in man coverage in the slot; however, he was at his best when asked to come up and make a tackle in shallow zone coverage, accumulating six combined tackles (four solo), per ESPN.com.

Though Raiders safety Reggie Nelson was likely credited with the pass deflection when he hit Mike Wallace on fourth down to secure the win, Hayden’s coverage was just good enough to force the incompletion even prior to the high-impact collision.

Nelson’s jarring blow was just the cherry on top of Hayden’s already well-made sundae.

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio praised Hayden’s efforts on Monday.

“DJ is playing well, Del Rio said, per Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com. “He’s doing some good things. He was involved in several stops for us yesterday, and I feel like he’s has a good offseason, a good productive camp. I feel like he’s been pretty steady for us. We need that to continue.”

Amerson also added to the hype surrounding Hayden, highlighting that ‘the sky’s the limit’ for the young defensive back.

Before this season, Hayden’s ceiling was no higher than a special teams ace.

Now in the final year of his rookie contract, Hayden will need to continue to put together strong performances from within the slot if he is going to return to Oakland in 2017. His game against the Ravens was a step in that direction.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) celebrates with quarterback Derek Carr (4) after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Carr and Crabtree Connection Takes Center Stage

Though he had just 199 yards through the air, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr polished his stat line with four touchdown passes, three of which going to his favorite receiver, Michael Crabtree.

“I’ve been a big fan of [Crabtree’s] since he was at Texas Tech,” Carr said. “I was so thankful that he came to Oakland. When he came here as a free agent, I did my best to keep him from leaving before he signed a contract. When I talked to him, I told him that we could do something really special here in Oakland. He’s a game-changer, but what has surprised me is how much we have in common. We think alike, and we are both very competitive. I know I can always count on him.”

And count on him he did, as Carr connected with Crabtree on seven of his season-high 12 targets for 88 yards and, of course, the three touchdowns.

With Cooper drawing the Ravens’ top corner Jimmy Smith over to his side, Crabtree took advantage of his matchup against their No. 2 cornerback Shareece Wright, as expected.

On the Raiders’ go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter, Crabtree beat Wright for a 23-yard touchdown, as Wright took an invite to Dancing with the Stars halfway through the route.

Crabtree's move to get the game winning TD pic.twitter.com/U4vnf6DvAO

— GipsySafety (@GipsySafety) October 3, 2016

Carr and Crabtree headlined as the Raiders’ top two offensive performers on the day, grading out to 85.1 and 84.1, respectively.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders tight end Clive Walford (88) cannot catch a pass while being hit by Baltimore Ravens safety Lardarius Webb (21) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Clive Walford Hitting a Wall

With the injury to Lee Smith early in the second quarter, second-year tight end Clive Walford saw 44 of the Raiders’ 60 offensive snaps (73 percent); however, the increased role didn’t bode well for his performance.

Against Baltimore, Walford caught two of his four targets for just 23 yards, dropping one of the balls thrown his way.

Walford, the Raiders’ third-round pick in 2015 out the University of Miami, is struggling to create separation over the middle of the field and fails to meet expectations as a blocker.

Through four games, Walford has graded out as the 50th ranked tight end among the 57 eligible in the business, per PFF.com.

With rumors emerging that Smith’s injury could be significant, Walford will continue to see an expanded role in upcoming weeks, so if he is unable to turn the corner in terms of his route-running ability and dropping problem, both him and the Raiders could be in trouble.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) pressured by Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack (52) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Irvin and Mack Have a Party in the Ravens’ Backfield

Entering the game under a negative spotlight because of their inability to attack the quarterback in recent weeks, Raiders edge-rushers Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin responded to the early criticism with an elite performance in Baltimore.

Mack (83.6) and Irvin (81.9) graded out as the Raiders’ second and fifth highest defensive players, as their constant pressure forced Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and his offensive line into costly errors throughout the entire game.

As the two continued to breathe down his back behind the line of scrimmage, Flacco struggled with accuracy and consistently threw the ball early, thus ruining the timing with his star receivers Mike Wallace and future Hall of Famer Steve Smith Sr.

Similarly, the added pressure from Mack and Irvin forced the Ravens’ offensive line into an abundance of holding penalties, as the group finished with five on the day.

Both Irvin and Mack capped off their performances with sacks in the fourth quarter.

Irvin stripped Flacco early in the fourth quarter to set the Raiders up on the Baltimore 29-yard line, leading to a 13-yard touchdown strike to Crabtree from Carr.

Mack matched Irvin’s sack total later in the quarter, forcing the Ravens into long third down attempt. Without enough firepower to pick up the first down, Baltimore punted to end the drive.

Raiders safety Nelson, an obvious beneficiary to the Raiders’ success attacking the quarterback, recognized his edge-rushers’ efforts.

“It always helps our defense when our D-line gets going,” Nelson said. “They came alive today, and that’s what we need them to do. We got a lot of work still to do at the end of the day, but we came out with the win, and that’s all that matters.”

Now inching closer to their potential, Mack and Irvin can lead this Raiders defense to new heights if they can continue to pressure the quarterback with consistency.