Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Week 8 review: Studs and Duds

Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Week 8 review: Studs and Duds

The Studs – Part 1

Nick Kwiatkoski

Nick Kwiatkoski was excellent on Sunday and made one of the plays of the game, forcing a fumble early on as the Browns were driving into Raiders territory. The fumble was recovered by Nicholas Morrow and took potential points off the board as the Browns had some momentum and were moving the ball well in their early game script.

Kwiatkoski was all over the field as he led the Raiders in tackles with 5 combined and was a major force in their rush defense. The Raiders run defense this season has been excellent with him in the lineup and even though they gave up 101 yards on Sunday, 29 of those yards came from Mayfield scrambles and not designed runs. While Cory Littleton has struggled this season, Kwiatkoski has been worth every penny and appears to be a potential leader for this defense for years to come.

Derek Carr

The passing numbers don’t look good for Derek Carr but the fact that he was able to complete 62.5% of his passes in that wind is a testament to his accuracy and ability. That was with a couple drops mixed in and a touchdown incorrectly ruled out so Carr’s numbers could have looked even better.

Where he made the biggest difference was taking care of the ball in the wet and snowy conditions and making big plays with his legs. Carr rushed for 41 yards on 6 carries including a first down run on third and 8 on a drive that ended in a touchdown and an 18-yard scamper to get the Raiders down to the Cleveland goal line.

Carr’s legs were the secret weapon for the Raiders on Sunday and if they become a bigger part of the gameplan then it opens up a whole new bag of tricks for Jon Gruden and the offense. He may never be the running QB that Marcus Mariota is but Carr did a solid impression of him against the Browns.