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Thursday Night Observations

Aside from the ref show, that wasn't a terrible game. You can tell how much better the Raiders are this year -- good offensive line play, better coverage, lots of easy check-down options for Derek Carr when the downfield stuff isn't there. They're having a good year, and it's hard not to wonder how much better the offense would have been had Antonio Brown not gone insane.

It was a modest game for Carr, but he made good decisions, didn't make mistakes and moved the offense. The Philip Rivers' pick six cost him a possession in the first half, too.

Josh Jacobs hits the hole decisively and breaks tackles. He doesn't strike me as an elite talent, but he's rock solid and money in the bank fantasy-wise running behind that offensive line.

No Raider receiver gets consistent targets these days, as Carr checks it down to various backs and tight ends too.

Rivers threw the two picks early, including one that was taken to the house, and he should have had a third in the red zone, but for a neutral-zone infraction. He also took five sacks, a couple of them of the coverage variety, i.e., he should have gotten rid of it.

Melvin Gordon is all the way back to being the top-10 pick he was before the holdout. He's the clear workhorse, with Austin Ekeler functioning as a standard change-of-pace/backup, albeit one that also has value independently as a quasi-wide receiver.

Keenan Allen had 11 targets, but only 68 yards. He had one big play called back, but he's not a red-zone or typical big-play threat. Hunter Henry may have supplanted Mike Williams as the team's primary red-zone target too.

What a bad time to miss a PAT by Daniel Carlson -- luckily the Raiders defense bailed him out.