5 reactions to Raiders bounce back win against the Browns
By Levi Dombro
The next man up showed out
In a contest that was riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball for each team, the Raiders depth and replacement pieces came up big time.
Winning a game without the likes of Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, and Marcus Epps is hard. Then you factor in the losses of Thayer Munford Jr., Michael Mayer, and Divine Deablo, and it seems impossible.
Not for the Raiders.
Charles Snowden had perhaps the most notable performance in the absence of Maxx Crosby, He recorded three tackles, a sack, a TFL, a pass deflection and three QB hits on Sunday, including the game-clinching sack on Deshaun Watson late in the fourth quarter. He is no Maxx Crosby, but he was more than enough on Sunday.
Tre Tucker and DJ Turner also stepped up with Adams out. Tucker caught five passes for 41 yards on just six targets, and he added a three-yard rushing touchdown on an end-around near the goal line. Turner also scored a touchdown, this one on an impressive 18-yard run. Without Adams and against a top-notch Browns secondary, it can be difficult for younger or more inexperienced wide receivers to step up, but that was not a problem Sunday.
Isaiah Pola-Mao is the other contender for the team's best player against the Browns on Sunday as he filled in for Epps, who was placed on season-ending IR this week. Pola-Mao had six tackles, a sack, a TFL, a QB hit, and a pass deflection. Simply put, he was everywhere on the field for the Raiders. Losing Epps' experience and IQ on the field was a bit of a concern heading into this week, but Pola-Mao put those concerns to rest against Cleveland.
DJ Glaze also performed admirably on Sunday while replacing an injured Thayer Munford Jr. The Browns may have been missing some players, but reigning DPOY Myles Garrett was not one of them. Surprisingly, Garrett did not wreak any havoc when lined up against Glaze. He was called for a holding penalty, but he and the rest of the line paved the way for the team's best day on the ground this season by a long shot.
K'Lavon Chaisson also had a solid day filling in at DE. He recorded four tackles and was in the backfield a number of times, and he was right there as well on Snowden's game-winning sack.