To the surprise of almost everyone, the Las Vegas Raiders are now 2-0 under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Las Vegas dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in all three phases of the game. This is one of those instances where the final score is not indicative of what actually happened on the field. Let us take a look at the key contributors to this victory starting first with Bisaccia himself.
Rich Bisaccia Leads Las Vegas Raiders to Win Over Philadelphia Eagles
Bisaccia is making a strong case to remove the “interim” tag from his job title. In his two weeks since taking over the team, he has Las Vegas playing inspired and consistent football. Reports came out a week or so ago about the playbook being condensed to simplify things on offense. After scoring 30+ points in back-to-back games, it is clear that this was the right move. You almost hate to see them go into a bye week with the momentum this team is currently carrying. Regardless, Bisaccia’s leadership and support from the locker room are undeniable. With games against the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs after the bye, there is a real chance for Las Vegas to turn this momentum snowball into an avalanche.
Yannick Ngakoue Terrorizes Jalen Hurts
Yannick Ngakoue showed why he was the Raiders prized free-agent signing in the offseason. His relentless approach to the game left newly-paid offensive tackle, Jordan Mailata, looking lost and helpless all afternoon. Ngakoue was in the backfield seemingly every play chasing after Jalen Hurts. He finished the game with two sacks, eight pressures, and two pass deflections. His eight pressures were more than double of anyone else on the team. It is nice to know that even when Maxx Crosby has an off day by his standards, there is a monster of a pass-rusher opposite of him ready to pick up the slack. The combination of Ngakoue and Crosby deserves real consideration as the best pass-rushing duo in the league.
Derek Carr Nearly Flawless
Despite an early interception, Derek Carr somehow managed to play one of the most efficient games of his career. He finished the game with a completion rating of 91% which is the second-highest in league history. Carr also threw for 323 yards, giving him the most 300+ yard passing games in the league. This is even more impressive when you take into account Darren Waller missing the game due to injury. This condensed playbook has Carr playing like a top-five quarterback. He is taking what the defense gives him instead of forcing the ball to his best players. There is a real sense of trust and unison amongst the players, and it shows in Carr’s play on the field.
Conclusion
This was truly a battle of two teams trending in entirely different directions. Philadelphia has inched closer to irrelevancy once again; a feeling all too familiar for their fans. Meanwhile, Las Vegas heads into its bye week with all the momentum in the world. It will be interesting to see how Bisaccia handles his first bye week as a head coach. This will be a real chance for the team to get healthy once again. Getting guys like Richie Incognito and Trayvon Mullen back will be instrumental in ensuring another second-half collapse does not happen this season.
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