Grading the Raiders’ Week 12 win against the Broncos

GRADING THE RAIDERS

How the team performed in Sunday’s 21-14 victory against visiting Denver.

Offense: A

Despite losing their top two receivers — Michael Crabtree was ejected early and Amari Cooper sustained a concussion on a brutal second-quarter hit — the Raiders were still able to offer the type of balance (37 rushes for 104 yards and 18 completions by quarterback Derek Carr for 253 yards and two scores) that allowed them to possess the ball for nearly 36 minutes. Marshawn Lynch carried a season-high 26 times for 67 yards and a score while also catching three balls for 44 yards, with a long of 26 off a third-and-12 in the fourth quarter. The Raiders needed to be good here against the league’s No. 3 defense. They were that and more.

Defense: B-plus

The unit, competing for the first time since coordinator Ken Norton Jr. was fired this week and replaced with John Pagano, flew through three quarters a solid A, but then things got soft and Denver managed two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Or maybe that’s just because Trevor Siemian replaced an injured and incredibly ineffective Paxton Lynch as Denver’s quarterback. Either way, five sacks and six three-and-outs and the team’s first interception (NaVorro Bowman) of the season made it a stellar day for the defense.

Special teams: A-minus

The minus part is attributed to kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, who missed his only field-goal attempt (35 yards). But what a day for punter Marquette King, who had four kicks downed inside the 10-yard line, pinning a bad offense and quarterback (Lynch) deep in their own territory time and again. Another key play came from Keith McGill III, who after Denver cut the margin to 21-7 early in the fourth quarter, recovered the ensuing onsides kick, stifling for the moment whatever momentum the Broncos had built.

Coaching: A

A transition to Pagano running things defensively, at least for one day, couldn’t have gone better. Also, on arguably the game’s most critical call — third-and-8 from its own 15 and leading by seven with 2:24 remaining — head coach Jack Del Rio instructed offensive coordinator Todd Downing to throw deep against a Cover Zero defense. Carr, off his back foot against an all-out blitz, lobbed a perfect throw to Cordarrelle Patterson. It went for 54 yards and essentially ended things. “We wanted to play to win,” Del Rio said. “We didn’t want to punt and hope to hang on.”