Raiders studs & duds from Week 8: Luke Getsy & Antonio Pierce fail again

Stud - Tyree Wilson

When it comes to defensive end Tyree Wilson, we acknowledge that we are grading him on a curve. After struggling mightily in his rookie season, Wilson was expected to take on a backup role to Malcolm Koonce and likely serve as just a situational pass rusher and special teamer.  However, because of the injury to Koonce, Wilson has been asked to take on a much bigger role and has disappointed thus far. 

This game against Kansas City was an exception as Wilson was one of the better players on the Raiders defense. He finished the day with a sack on Patrick Mahomes, three tackles, and a tackle for loss. Wilson spent much of the day in the KC backfield and was a big part of the defensive effort that kept the game close until the fourth quarter. 

We expected Wilson to thrive in his limited opportunities and with the benefits of playing alongside Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins but unfortunately, that is not been the case. The silver lining here is that we are seeing incremental Improvement from the second-year defensive lineman and perhaps the additional reps on a team with no pressure to win football games may help him grow and thrive. 

Wilson's next test comes against a Bengals team that has given up 19 sacks in eight games and has struggled to establish the run. Hopefully, he can build up some more momentum and help justify his top 10 selection that the Raiders are likely regretting at this time.