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Grading the Raiders in a 45-20 victory over New York Jets

How the team performed in a 45-20 home victory over the New York Jets:

Offense: A+

The Raiders used big plays and small plays and in-between plays — but mostly big plays — to blow open a game that saw the pesky New Yorkers pull within 21-13 midway through the third quarter. The 45 points were the most scored by the Raiders since 2010. The 410 yards seemed like a lot, too.

Defense: B

The Jets, basically thought of as the Howard University Bisons — er, better make that the Idaho Vandals — of the AFC, hung around for 2 1/2 quarters before the Raiders buckled down again. The Raiders allowed 271 yards, which is still pretty good, even against a middling opponent, and sacked the quarterback four times. They did not force any turnovers from Josh McCown — who not that long ago was playing QB for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League.

Special teams: A

Just before halftime, a punt from Marquette King almost drew rain on a cloudless day. The Jets’ Kalif Raymond felt the pressure from Johnny Holton, the Raiders’ gunner. Raymond muffed, Holton recovered. The punt traveled 65 yards. Marshawn Lynch bulled in for a short touchdown run 21 seconds before the break. Big play? You bet.

Coaching: A

Cordarrelle Patterson moved from wide receiver (and a bunch of other positions) to running back, took a handoff from Derek Carr and 43 yards later vaulted into the Black Hole after scoring a touchdown that extended the Raiders’ lead to 28-13 after the Jets had pulled to within a TD and 2-point conversion. Patterson said the Raiders had worked on that play and look all week in practice. It worked even better in the game.

Intangibles

: B-

On another Sunday, or a Monday night or — heavens forbid — a Thursday night, one might have assigned the Raiders a C for imitating hockey’s Charlestown Chiefs in the movies and committing five first-half personal fouls. But the one on linebacker Bruce Irvin in front of the Raiders’ bench was sort of ticky-tack, and the team did everything else so well that it deserves straight A’s and B’s.

Ron Kantowski Las Vegas Review-Journal

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