Oakland Raiders Week 3 Stats breakdown and awards

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge (82) gets tackled by Oakland Raiders middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) with help from outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (53) and cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Browns 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Defense Breakdown

The defensive Side of the ball had a lot more positive grades this week, and while there is still plenty of room for improvement, at least statistically, it looks like they are moving in the right direction.

Khalil Mack: I should just reserve this spot for #52 every week. He’s a consistent terror on opposing teams. This week he graded out at a +7.6 (good for 2nd overall in the NFL, by .1 point) and his +2.8 in run defense and +4.6 in pass rush is easily the most well-rounded defensive showing of the week. Mack was all but unstoppable in this game racking up 1 fumble force, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, 3 QB hurries, and 4 stops.

Justin Tuck: +2.0 – Tuck rebounded nicely after scoring a -3.1 last week against the Browns. Tuck was making his presence felt as he got 3 QB hits, and 1 hurry to his credit. Tuck’s performance may not have shown up very big in the stat sheet, but a guy like him is a big reason why Mack is able to have great performances week in and week out. Tuck ensures that offenses need to stay honest, and can’t focus too much on Mack.

T.J. Carrie: +1.7 – Carrie lined up out of position playing back as a safety, and he did a great job. Carrie scored a +1.4 grade in pass coverage, good for second on the team. McCown threw Carrie’s way 5 times in the game, completing 2 of the passes, having one pass defended by Carrie and ended up with a QB rating of 47.9 when throwing in his direction. Carrie is a young bright spot in an otherwise gloomy secondary.

Charles Woodson: +1.6 – Woodson grabbed a coverage grade of +2.3, giving him the highest coverage grade among all NFL Safeties last week.  While Charles did give up a TD, he also had a pass deflection credited to him…and the game winning interception.  He may be playing hurt, but when the pressure is on, you can count on number 24 to deliver.

Next: Week 3 Stats Breakdown: Defense Breakdown (Cont.)