After four straight losses, the Las Vegas Raiders earned their first win of the season, defeating the New York Jets 38-33 in Week 9. Head Coach Klint Kubiak's team trailed by nine points at halftime and came back to win it. With this win, the Raiders move to 4-4; however, Kubiak cannot be too pleased with how his team played Sunday. While there are some positives on offense, the Raiders' defense still has many concerns.
First Down: Cousins delivers when Las Vegas needed him most
Cousins gave the Raiders the help they needed, delivering arguably his best performance as a Raider He completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown. More importantly, the 15-year veteran threw no interceptions, even though he spent much of the game trailing. This was the type of game the Raiders needed from
him to get back on track after losing their last four games.
Las Vegas trailed 23-14 at halftime, and he led them on a second-half comeback. During the comeback, he threw touchdown passes to Brock Bowers and Jalen Nailor, which turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. The 2-yard touchdown pass to Nailor in the fourth quarter put the Raiders ahead of the Jets by five points (35-30). The accurate quarterback ended the day with a 141.0 passer rating.
Second Down: Bowers has complete faith of his QB
When Bowers is available, there's little argument about who the Raiders' most threatening offensive player is. The talented tight end caught seven passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets. He scored his first touchdown on a 12-yard reception in the first quarter. He then scored again with a two-yard touchdown reception in the second half. Both touchdowns came at times when Las Vegas desperately needed offensive production.
Bowers can make plays at any position. He creates problems for the opposition's defense whether he works underneath as a receiver against linebackers or as a deep threat against defensive backs. Cousins clearly has confidence in the All-Pro tight end in key moments, especially when they are trying to score (red zone), since the Raiders had a perfect 4-for-4 conversion rate in the red-zone trips Sunday. If Las Vegas wants to keep up their offensive success from Sunday, making Bowers the focal point of their passing game is a great way to do it.
Third Down: Defense nearly costs them another victory
Las Vegas escaped New York with a win; however, their defensive effort leaves a lot to be desired. The Raiders gave up 439 total yards and let the New York Jets score on their first six drives. Two of those six drives ended in touchdowns. Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jets running back Braelon Allen ran for 147 yards. These are alarming statistics for Las Vegas, especially against a Jets team that had won only two games on the season before this meeting.
The Raiders' biggest problem was their inability to consistently get off the field and stop the opponent from running the ball effectively. The Jets averaged 6.1 yards per rush and consistently put the Raiders in tough spots. While the defense adjusted at halftime, allowing the Jets to punt on consecutive possessions and giving Las Vegas a chance to make a comeback, the team cannot rely on their offense to overcome poor defensive performances every week.
Fourth Down: Dylan Laube provides crucial spark
In many cases, a team struggling to gain traction can get a much-needed boost from a single big play, and Dylan Laube did just that for the Raiders against the Jets. After Las Vegas trailed 13-7 at the start of the second quarter, Laube returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Raiders ahead. This was the team’s first kickoff-return touchdown since Jacoby Ford back in 2011. The return also kept the team close enough to compete, as long as their defense kept struggling to stop the Jets.
Special teams rarely draws fans' attention until something goes wrong, but Laube showed how quickly a single special-teams play can affect a game. Those seven points proved crucial to the Raiders' five-point victory.
Extra Point: Something to build on, but major questions remain
Las Vegas can finally look ahead with optimism as they prepare for next week. After snapping a four-game losing streak and now at .500, they have a chance to start gaining traction as they head into the second half of the year. Beating a struggling Jets team by only five points will not make all the issues that caused them to lose four in a row disappear, however. Kubiak knows his team needs consistency to compete against better teams.
One positive sign for Las Vegas on Sunday was their success in finishing drives and scoring on each of their four trips inside the opponent's red zone. In addition, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. ran for 83 yards on 25 carries, helping the Raiders build a balanced attack.
The most concerning aspect for Las Vegas remains its defense, which gave up 33 points and gave up big yards on the ground again. While the Raiders proved they can respond positively to adversity on Sunday, their next hurdle is to show they can put together a complete game.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 4 Downs: Understanding the Raiders' exciting 38-33 comeback win against the Jets
