Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders: 3 things we learned

The Rookies Came to Play

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock put a ton of their chips into this rookie class, and so far, it is paying great dividends. On offense, each of the touchdowns was made rookies with Josh Jacobs having two rushing and receptions from Foster Moreau and Hunter Renfrow. Not sure what history says about the likelihood of that, but it seems like a rare occurrence.

On defense, they weren’t as impactful, but Trayvon Mullen ended the game with seven tackles while Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell made some plays against the run. There are certainly improvements that need to be made all over the defense, but these young players are getting the reps they need.

It usually not great to rely on so many young players to succeed, but most of these rookies have proven they are ready to step up. And the Raiders are in a position were they need many of those guys to perform well for them to win and keep playoff hopes alive

Though whether they make the playoff or not, the future is looking better with each game.