Raiders report: Special teams shows off big plays with coach out sick

Divine Deablo’s spectacular interception against the Steelers in Week 6 may not have counted because of a penalty. But it did lead to a big play for the Raiders six weeks later.

Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon took note of the athleticism and soft hands the linebacker displayed on the pick. So he designed a fake punt to take advantage of those skills.

The result was a 34-yard reception for Deablo on Sunday off a throw from punter AJ Cole. The play led to a field goal for the Raiders that put them up 10-6 in the second quarter against the Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Denver rallied in the second half to win 29-19.

“I was really confident,” Cole said. “We’ve had it in (the game plan) for weeks and finally got the opportunity with the down and distance we wanted at midfield. Got the right look and Divine has made that play a hundred times in practice and I knew he could make it again.”

The play worked almost to perfection even though it was Cole’s first pass attempt and first completion in the NFL. The Raiders had afourth-and-4 from their own 36-yard line, then Deablo’s catch and run gave them a fresh set of downs at the Broncos’ 30-yard line.

“You just catch it and look down and spin it to sell the punt,” said Cole, who was also 1-for-1 as a passer in college at N.C. State. “Then I looked up and he was naked. There was nobody there at all. That’s when you know you can put a little air under it. I just blacked out after that.”

Things played out just the way McMahon, who leaves no detail to chance, drew it up.

He has even shown the punt team video of Deablo’s interception against the Steelers to remind everyone what Deablo is capable of as a pass catcher.

Cole said the film wasn’t necessary. Deablo hasn’t dropped a pass in practice.

“Flashback to me in high school and college when I was recruited as a receiver,” Deablo said. “I was glad the world got to see my receiver skills.”

McMahon, who held the same job with the Broncos from 2018-21, wasn’t in the building to celebrate his vision coming to life. He missed the game with an illness, but he is expected to be back with the Raiders soon.

His unit had a strong day with assistants Derius Swinton II and Kade Rannings filling in beyond just the fake punt. Rookie running back Dylan Laube had a 59-yard kick return, Cole pinned the Broncos deep in their own territory twice and kicker Daniel Carlson made all four of his field-goal attempts.

“It was definitely weird (without McMahon),” Cole said. “Knowing he came from Denver and this game meant a lot to him and he wasn’t able to be here, we had a chip on our shoulder and were trying to put on a good performance for him on special teams. He’s our leader. He’s the one who designs all the plays and the stuff we were executing. It was cool to be able to do that for him.”

It was also good for Laube to make an impact. The sixth-round pick out of New Hampshire fumbled his only carry of the season against the Steelers. He was waiting for his chance at redemption, and he got it Sunday.

“I think the anticipation is definitely the worst part, just waiting for it to finally happen,” Laube said. “But as soon as you catch that ball, you just forget about everything and I’m just playing the game I love.”

Laube credited McMahon for the design of the return. He said McMahon told him all week the Raiders would be able to get a long one if they got the right look.

“He’s such a big part of this team,” Laube said. “His vibe and energy are just unbelievable. But (Swinton and Rannings) really stepped up today, too.”

Red-zone woes continue

There is plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders’ seven-game losing streak. A consistent inability to finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals is one glaring issue holding the team back.

The problem reared its head again Sunday. The Raiders scored one touchdown in five trips to the red zone. The Broncos scored two touchdowns on their four opportunities.

“Very frustrating,” running back Ameer Abdullah said. “Especially some opportunities we missed. Field goals don’t win. We love Daniel Carlson, but seven points is what you need. That’s the difference. Scoring in the red zone is how you win games in this league. It just sucks.”

Airing it out

The Raiders, between Cole, starting quarterback Gardner Minshew and backup Desmond Ridder, threw the ball a season-high 53 times Sunday.

Coach Antonio Pierce doesn’t believe that’s a winning formula.

“I don’t want to see the ball thrown 40 times,” Pierce said. “I’ve said that like a thousand times, but that’s been kind of our MO.”

Abdullah had a team-high eight carries for the Raiders and finished with 28 yards. Sincere McCormick, who was called up from the practice squad, gained 33 yards on his five rushing attempts.

The Raiders played without their top two running backs in Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad).

“I think our guys did a good job getting to the next level and fighting their tails off,” Abdullah said. “It’s what you want to see up front. Unfortunately, the game got to a point where we couldn’t really stick with the run game, which is what we wanted to do this week. It’s disappointing.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.