Watch CBS News

Raiders Team Grades: Oakland, Carr Get Sweep In Florida, Top Bucs In Overtime

By Dave Thomas

Although they were not exactly playing the toughest competition in the NFL, the Oakland Raiders still had to make sure they did not have any slip-ups on their recent two-game swing through the Sunshine State.

After soundly defeating Jacksonville (33-16) a weekend ago, Oakland (6-2) completed the Florida sweep this past Sunday with a 30-24 overtime win at Tampa Bay. As a result, the Raiders return to the Bay Area with a 6-2 record, preparing for a big AFC West showdown next Sunday with longtime rival Denver.

In beating the Bucs in the extra session, Oakland went over the 30-point mark for the second week in a row, relieving some fans of offensive worries, after being held to only 10 points just a few weeks ago in an ugly loss at home to division foe Kansas City.

So, are the Raiders for real at four games over .500, or are they toying with their fans at the midway point of the regular season?

Offense: (A-)

It was a record-setting day for Oakland QB Derek Carr. Although a still relatively young quarterback in the league, Carr ripped off a team-record 513 yards of passing, though Oakland still had to go to overtime to put down a gritty Tampa Bay squad. Carr threw 59 passes on the late October afternoon, connecting on 40 of them. The game-winning score was a 41-yard toss to Seth Roberts in the extra session to win it. This was after normally reliable kicker Sebastian Janikowski missed on a 50-yard field goal as the regular session ran down, and then failed to connect on Oakland's first possession in overtime (52 yards).

As for Carr's other weapons besides Roberts, talented second-year wide receiver Amari Cooper caught 12 balls for 173 yards (1 TD), with Michael Crabtree adding eight catches for 108 yards. Making matters even more exciting, tackle Donald Penn caught a Carr TD pass in the third quarter. On the ground, Oakland got a meager 48 yards on 11 carries from Latavius Murray. Murray was in his second game back since missing several games with a toe injury. In all, the day belonged to Carr, who is certainly establishing himself as one of the better QB's around the league.

Defense: (B)

Despite giving up 24 points on the afternoon, Oakland's 'D' limited Tampa Bay running back Jacquizz Rodgers to 69 yards (one touchdown) on 19 carries. As a result of limiting Tampa's running attack, Oakland had to deal with second-year QB Jameis Winston. The Florida State product threw for 180 yards and a pair of scores. Oakland, which trailed 10-3 going into halftime, was led on defense by Karl Joseph's seven solo tackles, and Khalil Mack added a pair of sacks. The Raiders, who finish with three-of-four on the road to end the regular season, continue to do enough on defense to allow the gun-slinging Carr to pull out games for them for the most part.

Special Teams: (C)

Although he is still viewed as one of the game's premiere kickers, Janikowski missed a pair of field goals (50, 52), the former being one that would have won the game for Oakland. Janikowski did connect on a 31-yarder on the day. Meantime, punter Marquette King punted six times for a 40-yard average.

Coaching: (B-)

Despite a 6-2 record and sitting in first place in the AFC West, the Raiders committed a whopping 23 penalties (new NFL record) in the win at Tampa. Always one of the top penalized teams in the league, Oakland can't afford to wrack up that amount of penalties on a weekly basis and not expect it to hurt over time. While the penalties each week no doubt bother head coach Jack Del Rio and his staff, the bottom line is getting the 'W' when all is said and done.

Outlook: With four straight home games coming up (and a bye week), Oakland has a chance to separate itself from the rest of the pack in the AFC West. After a good test with Denver next weekend, Oakland has home dates coming up versus Houston, Carolina, and Buffalo. On paper, all of those games are certainly winnable. That said, the Raiders and their fans know that now is certainly not the time for any complacency. With the old one game at a time mantra, the Raiders will be intently focused on old-time foe Denver come next weekend in the Bay Area.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.