Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Week 2 review: Studs and Duds vs. New Orleans Saints
Studs Part 1
QB Derek Carr
Things started off shaky for Derek Carr, as he missed Henry Ruggs on a deep shot, and didn’t look very comfortable in the pocket, but he settled in quickly and had one of the better games of his career. Carr was masterful as he controlled the game and distributed the ball all over the field, hitting 11 different receivers over the course of the game.
Carr extended plays, took care of the ball, save for a fumbled snap near the goal line, and marched his offense up and down the field against a defense that looked fantastic in Week 1. The veteran quarterback looked in complete control under pressure, and delivered strikes that were key to extending drives and scoring touchdowns when it mattered most. Carr gets the game ball for Week 2.
TE Darren Waller
Just like the broadcast said about Darren Waller, the superstar tight end is not catching anyone by surprise in 2020 after a breakout campaign in 2019. Waller was the Raiders’ best player on Monday night as he caught everything he got his hands on and abused Saints defenders with his size and speed.
Waller lined up all over the field for the Raiders and was the clear focus of the team’s gameplan as he was targeted 16 times. He ended the night with 12 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown which was his best performance in a Raiders victory.
RB Josh Jacobs
It looked like it was going to be a rough night on the ground for Josh Jacobs as Pro Bowl OT Trent Brown didn’t dress and LG Richie Incognito was ruled out midway through the game with an Achilles injury. There were some snaps when the Raiders OL was overwhelmed but others, mostly thanks to Jacobs’ shiftiness, where they were still able to set the tone and break off some big runs.
It was not a signature game for Jacobs by just looking at his stat line, but all 88 of his rushing yards were hard earned and key to winning the game, including a tough fourth down run to close out the third quarter and extend a Raiders drive. The Raiders have one of the best backs in the league and they leaned on him with great success in Week 2.