Jon Gruden and the Raiders have their eyes on the playoffs during their inaugural Las Vegas season. They needed a Week 1 win against the rebuilding Carolina Panthers to ensure they stayed on track.
The Silver and Black did just that, earning a 34-30 win to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, who also earned wins in Week 1.
The Raiders' offense was crisp in Charlotte while the defense struggled at times but made the necessary plays to earn the win.
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Pro Football Focus submitted its grades after the Raiders' Week 1 win, and we'll look at some of the best and worst performers from the victory over the Panthers.
Thumbs Up
DE Clelin Ferrell: The No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft promised to return a new player in Year 2. He got off to a great start by earning the highest grade for a Raiders' defensive player at 73.8. He also helped make the key stop on Curtis Samuel on fourth-and-1 to secure the win.
OG Richie Incognito: The Raiders' offensive line dominated the Panthers upfront and Incognito led the way with a grade of 87.6. He recorded the third-best grade of any offensive guard in Week 1.
C Rodney Hudson: Hudson remains one of the best centers in the NFL. A cerebral star, Hudson is the cog that makes the Raiders' offense go. He had the fourth-best grade for a center in Week 1 at 81.0.
RB Josh Jacobs: Jacobs only rushed for 93 yards, but he did all the scoring work, waltzing into the end zone three times in the win to earn a grade of 70.4.
QB Derek Carr: Critics would be hard-pressed to find any issue with the way Carr orchestrated the offense in Week 1. He threw for 239 yards and one touchdown and didn't turn the ball over. He got a grade of 69.5, good for 15th among quarterbacks in Week 1.
WR Henry Ruggs: The Raiders moved the rookie all over the formation and having his speed on the field clearly opened things up for the other weapons. Ruggs caught three passes for 55 yards and earned a grade of 63.8. He tweaked his ankle but returned and didn't look too bothered.
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Thumbs Down
CB Damon Arnette: The rookie had a tough welcome to the NFL moment. He allowed four catches on five targets for 110 yards, a long touchdown to Robbie Anderson and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. That was good for a rating of 52.6.
DE Maxx Crosby: Crosby notched just two assisted tackles in Week 1 and a grade of 44.0, which had him ranked 97 out of 103 qualified edge rushers.
S Erik Harris: Harris won the job in camp but struggled in coverage against the Panthers, earning a grade of 37.3, which was 74th out of 79 safeties.
DT Maliek Collins: Collins had more pressures than Ferrell and Crosby in 2019, but he was underwhelming in his Raiders debut, notching just one tackle and a pass-rush grade of 57.8. His overall grade of 55.1 was 69th out of 112 interior defensive lineman.