The Las Vegas Raiders didn't show much promise in Week 12, as they fell to 2-9 after suffering an embarrassing 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The offensive effort was brutal, as they were unable to get into the end zone until garbage time, while allowing ten sacks on the day.
Despite the season being lost, Las Vegas' rookie class continues to struggle to get on the field. Ashton Jeanty was, once again, the only rookie who played even 50% of the offensive or defensive snaps. This has been an unfortunate theme for Las Vegas throughout the year.
Darien Porter was the only other rookie who even played 40% of the snaps, as he played his highest share of the defensive snaps since Week 9. His increase in playing time follows comments from Pete Carroll that he would be on the field more.
Darien Porter sees an increase in playing time, but it still isn't enough
Porter has seen his playing time fluctuate throughout the season, as there have been two games where he played 100% of the defensive snaps and three games where he failed to see a single snap on defense. The third-round rookie has had under a 50% snap share in every other game this season.
While Porter continued to play less than Kyu Blu Kelly, his 25 defensive snaps were 49% of Las Vegas' total defensive snaps, his third-highest mark of the year. Porter's increase in playing time comes days after Carroll hinted that fans might see more of the young cornerback.
"He had a terrific week. He really did. And those guys are really battling, so he's going to get some playing time this week."
Porter had played just 23.9% of the defensive snaps against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Week 11, so this week was certainly an improvement, and Carroll did keep his word. Porter also made sure to prove Carroll right.
The rookie performed well on Sunday, as he was not targeted a single time in 13 coverage snaps. In fact, the Raiders received solid production from each of their outside cornerbacks, as Eric Stokes and Kelly both played well, making this crew the lone bright spot.
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Kelly was targeted just one time in 11 coverage snaps, and Stokes was thrown at twice in 24 coverage snaps. But here's the kicker: neither of them gave up a single catch. The team's three outside cornerbacks played 48 coverage snaps and gave up zero catches on three targets.
Unfortunately, the unit still had a weak link, as slot cornerback Darnay Holmes played just eight snaps but was picked on during his time on the field. While he was targeted just twice, he allowed two completions for 118 yards and a touchdown.
While Stokes has played well enough to deserve a nice extension, Kelly is unlikely to be a long-term option at cornerback, at least as a full-time starter. Las Vegas would be wise to give Porter even more playing time, as the rookie could be earning valuable reps that will pay dividends in the future.
Porter is in just his fourth season playing cornerback after originally being recruited as a wide receiver out of high school. The Raiders, who have already clinched a losing record, should be focused on developing their young players, with Porter standing out as a player who simply needs to be on the field. But Week 12 made it seem like they can't go wrong with their young outside corners.