National Football League

PFF Recap: Grading the Oakland Raiders in Week 8

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:55 p.m. ET

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The Oakland Raiders (6-2) capped off their 10-day stay in Florida with a 30-26 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) despite seeing a record-breaking amount of penalties thrown their way.

Beneath what looked like a yellow blanket, the Raiders turned what looked like a nightmare into remarkable dream due in large part to the play of their franchise pieces.

Here’s an in-depth look at how ProFootballFocus.com graded the Raiders’ Week 8 performance.

Oct 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) and quarterback Derek Carr (4) congratulate each other after they scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Oakland Raiders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Carr Establishes Himself Among the Elite

Raiders third-year quarterback Derek Carr pushed the pedal to the metal for four quarters and then some against the Buccaneers, and he never ran out of gas, revealing a trait Oakland hasn’t witnessed under center in a long time — championship grit.

With his back against the wall more than once in Sunday’s game, Carr remained reluctant to crumble beneath adversity, as he matched each of the referees’ thrown flags with an even more accurately thrown ball late in the game and on crucial downs.

Carr completed 40 of 59 passes for a franchise record 513 yards and four touchdowns, one of his scores going to his slot receiver Seth Roberts for a 41-yard game-winning touchdown on fourth down in overtime.

“Yes, throw an accurate ball, stand in there make an accurate throw, give our guys a chance to make a play,” Carr said when asked to describe the game-winning play. “That is what my thought process is. As soon as the third down, I don’t know what it was, incomplete, I don’t know. I looked to the side and Coach Del Rio, sure enough, said ‘Go, just go’ and we [have to] come up big for him. He trusts us to do that, we [have to] keep doing it.”

Carr, of course, came up big, earning the team’s highest offensive grade (82.7) on the day, per PFF.com.

Despite Carr’s record-breaking success, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio wasn’t even convinced that it was his quarterback’s best performance, and he expects Carr to only continue to improve as the season progresses.

“I don’t know if I would say the best game throughout, but it was awesome,” Del Rio said, per Raiders.com. “It was an awesome performance. I don’t know. I’ve seen some good ones. I think we’’ continue to see good ones from him. He’s very confident, he’s got some weapons he’s utilizing, and he had a heck of a performance today.”

Whether it goes down as awesome or one of his best, Carr’s performance single-handedly kept the Raiders in reach of the win, and his ability to maintain that level of play through the final play of the game ultimately allowed the Silver and Black to walk off the field with the victory in hand.

Oct 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) high fives fans after the beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime at Raymond James Stadium. Oakland Raiders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack Finds his Rhythm

Those who have watched his tape know that opposing offenses have felt Raiders edge-rusher Khalil Mack’s presence all season, but because he hasn’t blown the league away in sack production, he has received undeserved criticism.

As expected, Mack has silenced the critics.

Dropping Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston twice in Sunday’s affair, Mack now has four sacks in three games.

In addition to his two sacks, Mack picked up five pressures, four quarterback hits, seven combined tackles, and a forced fumble, and, in turn, PFF awarded him his best single-game grade of the season (91.4).

Pinpointed as a potential victim to Mack’s wrath earlier in the week, Buccaneers left tackle Donavan Smith failed to exceed his low expectations, as Mack bullied the second-year offensive tackle with unmatched consistency.

“Donovan Smith remains a huge problem on Winston’s blindside,” per PFF.com. “He coughed up seven of the 11 pressures allowed by the Bucs’ line, and was frequently tormented by Khalil Mack. Tampa appear committed to Smith at that position over the long-term, but his development remains far from a certainty.”

Forcing Tampa Bay into long-term uncertainty, Mack will continue to play beneath a national spotlight, leaving opposing coordinators with no choice but to do whatever it takes to reduce his impact.

Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders strong safety Karl Joseph (42) looks on prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Karl Joseph Continues Dominance

Raiders first-round pick Karl Joseph, considered a reach by some shortly after the 2016 NFL draft, has reached new heights since taking over as the starter for veteran safety Keith McGill in Week 3, putting together another dominant performance in his most recent start against Tampa Bay.

Joseph, known for his ability to deliver hard hits and secure open field tackles as a box safety, left his mark on the Buccaneers’ ball carriers and even ventured outside of the box with some big plays in coverage.

Late in the fourth quarter, Joseph lowered his shoulder into Tampa Bay’s top receiver Mike Evans just as Winston’s pass reached Evans’ hands on third down, effectively jarring the ball loose and giving the Raiders a chance to get the job done offensively.

Joseph finished the game with a team-high seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass deflections, and he now tied with his counterpart, safety Reggie Nelson, in combined tackles (43) despite seeing zero defensive snaps in the first two weeks of the season.

According to PFF.com, Joseph earned an 85.5 overall grade against the Buccaneers, good for the second-highest defensive grade on the team.

Joseph has emerged as a strong, impactful starter within Oakland’s inconsistent secondary because of his ability to quickly acclimate to the speed of the NFL and improve with each week, an essential characteristic to a young, inexperienced defender.

Oct 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive back D.J. Hayden (25) breaks up a pass to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) in the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Hayden and T.J. Carrie Step Up in Sean Smith’s Absence

Early in the first quarter, Raiders outside cornerback Sean Smith went down with a shoulder injury that would keep him from returning to the field for the duration of the game, leaving nickel corner D.J. Hayden and backup T.J. Carrie to pick up the slack.

The two corners did just that.

Hayden accumulated four combined tackles and two pass deflections, one of which coming on a deep, arcing throw to Evans down the field late in the fourth quarter.

Though he did give up some big plays, including an early touchdown to Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Shepard, Hayden kept a level head and rebounded to finish the game on a positive note.

Hayden earned the fifth highest defensive grade on the team (76.6), per PFF.com.

Carrie, who has seen few defensive snaps this season, finished just above Hayden with Raiders’ fourth best defensive grade (81.4) after being thrown into the action on short notice.

Going up against Cecil Shorts III for a majority of the contest, Carrie held the veteran receiver to zero receptions and added two tackles and one pass deflection to his stat line.

Carrie did fall victim to Tampa Bay’s receiver Adam Humphries late in the third quarter, as he let Humphries turn a shallow catch into a 42-yard gain because of unacceptable missed tackle.

Both corners earned their respective lumps in coverage, as both Carrie and Hayden’s name likely came after an expletive from Raiders fans after some bad plays on Sunday.

However, the two young corners got back up off the mat, and that made all the difference.

Oct 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) and center Rodney Hudson (61) hug after they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Oakland Raiders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

‘Carr Insurance’ Offers Full Coverage

Oakland’s big, physical offensive line entered Sunday’s contest expected to continue their reign over the trenches against a Buccaneers defense that stood little chance in the affair.

The Raiders’ trench warriors effectively met expectations, leaving Tampa Bay’s defensive line in their respective seats.

“Oakland’s starting offensive line was only charged with giving up seven [quarterback] hurries and one sack which played a huge factor in Derek Carr’s strong performance,” via John Breitenbach of PFF.com. “ [Right guard] Gabe Jackson was the sole weak link as he was beat a few times in pass pro when Carr got rid of the ball quickly, but even he only surrendered two true [quarterback] hurries.”

Jackson’s underwhelming performance kept him from the PFF’s top performers list, leaving room for the rest of Oakland’s offensive line to enjoy the limelight.

With Carr obviously headlining as the Raiders’ top offensive player, center Rodney Hudson (79.5), guard Kelechi Osemele (76.9), and tackles Donald Penn (78.3) and Austin Howard (75.9) rounded out PFF’s top five list.

Though Howard did give up a costly strip-sack against Tampa Bay’s rookie edge-rusher Noah Spence late in the first quarter, he improved as the game progressed, ultimately giving Carr enough time in the pocket to lead the Raiders to a comeback victory.

Also, Oakland’s success in the trenches wasn’t limited to the passing attack, as their slew of backs averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 24 attempts on the ground.

Opposite of Howard, Penn prevented Tampa Bay’s edge-rushers from reaching Carr’s blindside with great consistency, and he even extended his impact to the scoreboard.

The longtime Buccaneer brought in a one-yard touchdown pass from Carr to open up the second half against his former team.

“We ran a naked, I blocked down,” Penn said in an effort to describe his touchdown reception. “Everybody went to the right and I just came back out. I had to move a couple people out of the way. Then DC [Derek Carr] put a nice ball in the air and I was wide open for a touchdown.”

Even when pushing Penn’s touchdown aside, the Raiders’ offensive line has been unwavering in their ability to play at a high level with noticeable consistency through eight weeks this season.

Their performance against Tampa Bay was simply another notch in their belt.