Search far and wide, you won't find a member of Raider Nation without a smile on their face this week.
What the Las Vegas Raiders did on Monday Night Football was nothing short of impressive, handing a talented New Orleans Saints squad their first loss of the season, defeating Drew Brees and Co., 34-24.
The Silver and Black got out to a sluggish start on both sides of the ball to start the game, but it must have been the new-stadium jitters because once they shook them off they were a force to be reckoned with. Despite being 2-0, there's plenty of things the team will want to clean up before they travel to New England to face Bill Belichick and the Patriots; however, there's nothing wrong with relishing the moment.
Let's recap the Raiders' primetime win with another edition of By the Numbers.
Ten third-down conversions helped the Raiders manage the clock and keep the ball out of Alvin Kamara's hands. On 17 attempts, the Raiders were surgical on third down, in large part to the contributions of Derek Carr. The Raiders' signal-caller was decisive with his throws and connected with a handful of receivers. In addition to the team's 10 conversions, they converted both fourth-down attempts.
Three penalties compared to the Saints' 10. The Silver and Black were disciplined on primetime, giving up only 13 yards on mental errors; however, New Orleans struggled mightily in this department. The Saints gave up 129 yards due to penalties, which certainly helped the Raiders out a time or two.
Thirty-six minutes the Las Vegas Raiders held possession of the football. Jon Gruden's offense was able to keep the Saints' offense on the field for 23 minutes and 42 seconds, limiting their opportunity to mount a come-from-behind win.
Twelve receptions for Darren Waller led all receivers during Monday's game. Waller is Carr's undisputed go-to receiver and even with that knowledge pregame, the Saints struggled to bottle up No. 4's favorite target. Waller finished his night with 12 receptions (one shy of his career-high), 103 receiving yards, and one touchdown. If you're still sleeping on Waller it's time to wake up.
Eleven Raiders receivers caught a pass against the Saints. Despite honing in on Waller, Carr made sure to get everyone involved, including Alec Ingold who scored the first Raiders touchdown at Allegiant Stadium.
Seven tackles from rookie cornerback Damon Arnette was tied for the most on the Raiders. Arnette experienced his fair share of rookie moments, but he also delivered some clutch tackles when it mattered most. The first-round pick is building a solid foundation to continue building on.
One hundred percent from the field. Daniel Carlson was automatic from everywhere Monday night. The former Auburn Tiger knocked in a 54-yard field goal to put the game on ice, converted all four of his PAT attempts, and added a 28-yard field goal for good measure.
Here's a look at the play-time percentages from Week 2:
| Player | Position | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G Jackson | G | 80 - 100% | 6 - 22% | |
| D Good | G | 80 - 100% | 6 - 22% | |
| K Miller | T | 80 - 100% | 6 - 22% | |
| D Carr | QB | 80 - 100% | ||
| R Hudson | C | 80 - 100% | ||
| D Waller | TE | 74 - 92% | 1 - 4% | |
| J Simpson | G | 69 - 86% | 6 - 22% | |
| J Jacobs | RB | 53 - 66% | ||
| H Ruggs III | WR | 49 - 61% | 1 - 4% | |
| B Edwards | WR | 49 - 61% | ||
| H Renfrow | WR | 40 - 50% | 4 - 15% | |
| F Moreau | TE | 32 - 40% | 7 - 26% | |
| J Witten | TE | 26 - 32% | 7 - 26% | |
| Z Jones | WR | 18 - 22% | ||
| J Richard | RB | 17 - 21% | 4 - 15% | |
| A Ingold | FB | 16 - 20% | 9 - 33% | |
| N Agholor | WR | 15 - 19% | ||
| D Booker | RB | 11 - 14% | 4 - 15% | |
| R Incgonito | G | 11 - 14% | ||
| N Morrow | LB | 60 - 100% | 10 - 37% | |
| C Littleton | LB | 60 - 100% | 8 - 30% | |
| J Abram | S | 57 - 95% | 10 - 37% | |
| E Harris | S | 55 - 92% | 15 - 56% | |
| L Joyner | CB | 55 - 92% | ||
| T Mullen | CB | 53 - 88% | 7 - 26% | |
| D Arnette | CB | 49 - 82% | 1 - 4% | |
| M Crosby | DE | 45 - 75% | 10 - 37% | |
| M Collins | DT | 42 - 70% | 6 - 22% | |
| C Ferrell | DE | 38 - 63% | 5 - 19% | |
| A Key | DE | 34 - 57% | 4 -15% | |
| J Hankins | DT | 30 - 50% | 5 - 19% | |
| M Hurst | DT | 22 - 37% | 1 - 4% | |
| K Vickers | DT | 16 - 27% | 4 - 15% | |
| C Nassib | DE | 15 - 25% | ||
| N Lawson | CB | 13 - 22% | 19 - 70% | |
| J Heath | S | 8 - 13% | 16 - 59% | |
| R McMillan | LB | 5 - 8% | 11 - 41% | |
| K Wilber | LB | 2 - 3% | 19 - 70% | |
| J White | LB | 1 - 2% | 5 - 19% | |
| D Carrier | TE | 20 - 74% | ||
| K Nixon | CB | 13 - 48% | ||
| D Carlson | K | 12 - 44% | ||
| T Sieg | LS | 8 - 30% | ||
| A Cole | P | 8 - 30% | ||
| I Johnson | CB | 7 - 26% | ||
| B Parker | T | 6 - 22% | ||
| A James | C | 6 - 22% |
