Las Vegas had a thrilling comeback win over the Saints that pushed the Raiders to a 3-0 record under Klint Kubiak. Even in victory some Raiders struggled and will see their playing time decrease.
Here are which Raiders impressed and disappointed ahead of a Week 4 matchup with the Chiefs.
Stock Up
Brock Bowers
The Raiders offense functioned well enough to win the first two games of the season without Brock Bowers. But the tight end returned with a monster game.
Bowers had 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. He dominated the targets, with 13 while no other Raider had five looks.
Bowers is the best player on the team, so having a terrific game isn’t unexpected. The more interesting part of his return was his snap count. Bowers played 79 percent of the offensive snaps on Sunday, despite having knee surgery earlier in September.
Malcolm Koonce
The Raiders’ best defensive player on Sunday was Malcolm Koonce. The backup edge rusher had a huge game. He was tied for the team-lead in pressures with six, despite playing just 35 snaps.
Koonce’s biggest impact came in the fourth quarter, when he was responsible for two turnovers. He forced a Tyler Shough fumble on the Saints’ first drive of the final frame. On the very next New Orleans drive, Koonce hit Shough as he attempted a pass, causing the ball to flutter into the air and fall into the waiting arms of Hezekiah Masses.
The Raiders beat the Saints thanks to a dominant defensive fourth quarter. Koonce was the engine behind it.
Stock Down
Dylan Laube
The Raiders’ third string running back has yet to get a handoff or a target this season. He is primarily used on special teams. But Laube fumbled away a kickoff in the third quarter that nearly doomed the Raiders.
The Saints scored two plays later to take an 11-point lead. Laube was ultimately bailed out by Koonce and the defense, making his mistake just a footnote.
But Laube has struggled to hold onto the ball in his career. He has eight career carries and has put the ball on the ground twice. Now he has lost the ball on special teams.
Isaiah Pola-Mao
Before the fourth quarter the Raiders defense was a bit of a mess, allowing 27 points and showing no real signs of slowing down the Saints.
The biggest culprit was safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. With Treydan Stukes out due to a concussion, Pola-Mao got the start and played every defensive snap. The Saints went at him, including near the goal line, where Pola-Mao was the primary target on two touchdown passes.
Stukes is expected to return this week, which would push Pola-Mao back to the sideline.
