Raiders winners and losers in 33-22 victory vs. Eagles

Week two of the Rich Bisaccia era in Las Vegas was just as good as the first, with the Raiders dominating the Eagles on Sunday in a decisive 33-22 victory.

The Raiders’ interim coach built on his big win from a week ago against the Broncos, and Las Vegas will hit its bye week with an impressive 5-2 record. Against the Eagles, the Raiders caught fire after falling behind 7-0, notching 30 consecutive points to take control of the game.

As always, some Raiders fared better than others. But overall, this Raiders team is flying high after an emotional two weeks. Here are the players that impacted this Las Vegas victory the most.

Winners

Foster Moreau

Raiders tight end Foster Moreau had some big shoes to fill against the Eagles. In a seemingly ominous sign for the Raiders, All-World TE Darren Waller didn’t suit up after injuring his ankle in a freak tripping incident at practice on Friday.

But Moreau stepped up in a major way. He caught the first of quarterback Derek Carr’s two touchdown throws with an 18-yard score on an incredible play early in the second quarter.

Now that’s the way to replace arguably the best tight end in the NFL. Overall, Moreau had six catches for 60 yards, both career highs that paced the Raiders receivers on the day

Yannick Ngakoue

Though the Raiders’ offense got rolling after Moreau’s touchdown grab, the defense had to give them an opportunity to score the tying strike. Raiders’ defensive end Yannick Ngakoue made an impact early that stopped the Eagles’ offense in its tracks.

After Carr threw an early interception — a small blemish on an incredible day for Carr — Ngakoue pressured Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on the ensuing drive, almost forcing an Eagles interception. Then Ngakoue had a demonstrative pass break up at the line of scrimmage to force a punt.

It was a show of force that continued throughout the afternoon, with Ngakoue finishing with two sacks, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, and two QB hits.

Bryan Edwards

Second-year wide receiver Bryan Edwards caught Carr’s second touchdown of the day, and it capped the Raiders’ run of 30 consecutive points. It was short reception, on a 4th-and-goal play from the 1-yard line. But Edwards earned his score, taking a shot as soon as he latched onto the football.

That play is a big step for Edwards, who had a memorable drop two weeks ago. After a clutch play last week against the Broncos and his touchdown against the Eagles, he’s building a much better reputation for himself lately.

Derek Carr

With how well Carr has played for much of the season, it’s tempting to put him on this list every week. But against the Eagles, Carr was simply too good to ignore.

He completed 31 of his 34 passes for 323 yards, two touchdowns, and his one interception. For much of the game, Carr’s only incomplete pass was that early miscue.

In fact, Carr’s completion percentage of 91.2% was the second-highest percentage for any QB who passed 30 or more times in a single game, according to The Athletic. He was in full command of the offense he’s studied so intently over the last four years and has rarely looked better than he did on Sunday.

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Losers

Jalen Richard

Speaking of Carr’s interception. It was on an attempted short pass to running back Jalen Richard in the red zone. The pass wasn’t necessarily on target, but Richard didn’t serve the Raiders well by haphazardly sticking one arm out toward the football, guiding the football into the arms of an Eagles defender.

Overall, however, Richard’s return from the injured reserve list has been a welcome one. He’s bolstered a running backs group that lost starter Josh Jacobs to a chest injury on Sunday. And as a group, the Raiders gained a relatively robust 4.1 yards per carry on the day, led by Kenyan Drake who gained 69 yards and had a touchdown, as did Jacobs.

Alex Leatherwood

Raiders rookie offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood didn’t have a terrible day against the Eagles, but he did commit a holding penalty late in the game that impacted the Raiders as they tried to put the Eagles away.

Leatherwood’s hold led to the Raiders’ first punt of the day. Furthermore, the infraction added to Leatherwood’s league lead in penalties. Though the Raiders offensive line enjoyed a solid day, not allowing a QB sack and powering a solid run game, penalties are still an issue, with linemen John Simpson and Brandon Parker earning infractions, too.

But as long as the offensive line blocks as they have lately, this Raiders team has an opportunity to play meaningful football down the stretch this season. No team in the AFC owns a better mark than the Raiders’ 5-2 record, and that’s got to feel good for Bisaccia and his crew as they prepare to enjoy the bye week, soon returning to fight for the AFC West crown.

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