Raiders studs & duds from Week 3: Antonio Pierce on notice

Stud: Tre Tucker

Before things got out of hand and the Panthers really laid the whooping on the Raiders' defense, the lone bright spot on offense was wide receiver Tre Tucker. He had a great 50-yard reception that set up the Raiders' first touchdown and was able to put together a nice day against the Carolina defense.

Tucker ended the day as the leading receiver for the Raiders with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown which came well into garbage time. This was his best game of the season after being mostly shut out for the first two weeks of the season and his involvement could be a good sign for this struggling offense.

One of the reasons that Tucker has struggled has been QB Gardner Minshew’s inability to throw the ball downfield and the general lack of protection Minshew has been getting. It takes time for these big shot plays to develop and even against this no-name Panthers defense, he was not comfortable in the pocket. If the Raiders are going to do anything on offense this season then Tucker will have to get more involved. They have a solid receiver group on paper and just need someone to get the ball to these guys, including to Tucker who has shown he can be a competent deep threat in this league.