1. The good: Derek Carr coming up clutch
Derek Carr went 28 of 37 for 382 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in Sunday's game against The Pittsburgh Steelers, which gave him a QBR of 126.2 versus the Iron Curtain. As if that wasn't enough for fans of Carr, he also had six receivers who averaged ten-yard or more per catch, making him effective at moving the ball. Whether this kind of momentum keeps up in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but you have to imagine that we are now getting a true showing of Carr's abilities.
Keep in mind that Carr is also only six days removed from throwing a walk-off touchdown in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens that would give them their first win of the season. While Carr did throw one interception during Monday night's game with the Ravens, he still flourished with two touchdowns and a completion percentage of 67%. Those are pretty good numbers for a guy that fans accused of blowing games last season.
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2. The great: The defense held up against a tough opponent
How about this Las Vegas Raiders' defense?
The Raiders' defense got to Ben Rothlisberger several times throughout the game and even nailed him twice for a sack. Furthermore, the Raiders' defense held the Steelers to only 331 yards, which were mostly passing yards. This forced the Steelers into passing the ball more and making mistakes in the process. The Raiders finished things off with suffocating pass coverage, which left Rothlisberger unable to consistently get the ball down the field.
In fact, Rothlisberger only completed 27 of his 40 passes for 295 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, which is big for a defense that would typically struggle in this situation. Seriously though, the Raiders now have one of the best defenses in the league. Maybe not a top-five, but top ten.
3. The growth: winning on the road
Can we just take a minute to appreciate that the Las Vegas Raiders won a game on the road after being given a short week by the league? They even managed a nine-point lead over the Steelers before the end of the game, meaning the defense knows how to keep a game out of the opponent's hands.
This looks like a brand-new Las Vegas Raiders organization. There's just so much confidence in this squad! Not only was that evident by Derek Carr's reaction to throwing the go-ahead touchdown in last week's game against the Ravens, but also by how the defense held up on the road. This might actually be the Raiders' best chance in a long time of making a playoff run, and it comes after knocking out one of the most brutal legs of their schedule. Make no mistake. These are significant victories.
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