A road win that ends a four-game skid makes Monday's film session a lot more pleasant. The Raiders gave their coaches more to celebrate than to fix against the New York Jets, and here is how every unit graded out.
Quarterback: A
Nobody on the roster played a cleaner game than Kirk Cousins. The veteran quarterback completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, finished with a 141.0 passer rating and never turned it over.
He also plunged in from a yard out in the third quarter, and the Raiders don't win a shootout without that kind of efficiency. Only the modest yardage keeps this from an A-plus.
Running backs: B-
Rookie Mike Washington Jr. got the workhorse role and carried 25 times for 83 yards. At 3.3 yards per carry, the production was steady rather than spectacular.
Second-year running back Ashton Jeanty only touched the ball five times, but his three catches went for 64 yards. Washington earned the trust, and the group earned a passing grade.
Receivers and tight ends: B+
Tight end Brock Bowers caught seven of his 10 targets for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Mayer added five catches for 53 yards. Jalen Nailor caught all four of his targets, including the go-ahead score.
The tight ends carried this group again. A quiet day from the wide receivers outside Nailor keeps the grade shy of an A.
Offensive line: B
Cousins went down only once, on a Will McDonald IV sack, against a Jets front that came in with 19 sacks. The run blocking still produced just 2.9 yards per carry.
To be clear, eight rushing first downs is real progress for a line that managed two against the Rams. If nothing else, the front five finally let the offense lean on the ground.
Defense: D+
The Jets ran for 166 yards at 6.1 yards per carry, and Geno Smith threw for 290 yards against a secondary that lost cornerback Darien Porter on the first snap.
The second half kept this out of failing territory. The Jets managed 10 points after halftime, edge rusher Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Tim Keenan III each recorded a sack, and safety Jeremy Chinn sealed it with an end-zone interception.
Special teams: A+
Here is the easiest grade on the sheet. Running back Dylan Laube averaged 48.0 yards on three kickoff returns, including a 95-yard touchdown, and kicker Matt Gay drilled a 53-yarder late to make the Jets need a touchdown.
Punter AJ Cole chipped in with a 53.5-yard average, so every part of the unit showed up.
Coaching: B+
Klint Kubiak promised more runs, and the Raiders ran it 33 times against 26 pass attempts. All things considered, the plan worked, especially in a 14-point third quarter after the offense went scoreless in that period against both the Bills and Rams.
The defensive game plan had no answer early, though, which is why this isn't an A.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders Week 8 report card: How every unit graded out against the Jets
