Raiders report card: Derek Carr, Jon Gruden are all A’s in Las Vegas debut

How the Raiders graded Monday night in a 34-24 win over the New Orleans Saints:

PASS OFFENSE: A

May have been Derek Carr’s signature game considering the level of competition. He completed 28 of 38 passes and completed passes to 11 different receivers, with Darren Waller getting the lion’s share with 12 catches for 103 yards. Carr, sacked three times in the first quarter, weathered the storm and kept converting first down throws to help keep New Orleans off the field. He threw the ball away when necessary and had all the answers against a confusing, blitzing and stunting Saints defense. Receivers were sure-handed and ran hard after the catch. Pass blocking after the first quarter was very good even with John Simpson at left guard and Denzelle Good at right tackle.

RUN OFFENSE: B

How could a team that averaged 3.3 yards per carry get an above average grade? Because the Raiders ran it 35 times (for 116 yards) and rushing attempts helped dictate the pace and control the clock. Josh Jacobs took a beating with 27 carries for 88 yards but had some tough, tackle-breaking runs late when it appeared he was gassed. Jalen Richard erased the memory of dropping a pitch head for big yardage with a 20-yard touchdown run that helped put the game away.

PASS DEFENSE: C-plus

Drew Brees was 26 of 38 for 312 yards and a touchdown and had one big turnover — an intereption directly into the hands of Nicholas Morrow. It looked early on as if Brees would be headed toward a 400-yard day and a lot of touchdowns, but it didn’t work that way. New Orleans led 10-0 and 17-7, but didn’t do a lot after that until a way-too-easy scoring drive in the fourth quarter to cut the Raiders lead to 31-24. There were no sacks but the Raiders were better at getting Brees off his spot after the early onslaught. Maurice Hurst had two quarterback hits and Maliek Collins, Arden Key and Clelin Ferrell had one each. Johnathan Abram and Erik Harris were the only two defenders with a pass defensed.

The Raiders’ Clelin Ferrell pressures Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Getty Images

RUN DEFENSE:C-minus

New Orleans averaged 6.1 yards per carry with 19 carries for 112 yards. Alvin Kamara led the way with 112 yards on 19 carries. It looked at times if New Orleans could have steamrolled the Raiders had the Saints not gotten in so many bad down-and-distance situations due to their penalies (10 for 129 yards). The Raiders had no tackles for losses.The Raiders controlled the ball so effectively, especially in the third quarter, that New Orleans didn’t have enough snaps to attack with a running game that appeared able to control the game if given the chance.

SPECIAL TEAMS:B

Daniel Carlson kicked his second 54-yard field goal in two weeks, and this one was big. Had Carlson missed, New Orleans would have had excellent field position and a chance to tie the game 31-21. Instead, the Raiders had the 1- point lead they would own when the game ended. Carlson also kicked a 28-yard field goal. Field position was about equal with the Saints, who opened on average at the 26 with the Raiders at the 24. There were big returns on either side to speak of. A.J. Cole had a 40-yard net average on two punts on the Raiders’ first two possessions and never punted again.

COACHING: A

It was a clinic in Jon Gruden football, with balance (38 passes, 35 runs) and a steady procession of short- to medium-range throws designed to get first downs and keep the clock rolling. Given that the Saints averaged 7.4 yards per snap, Gruden’s plan to keep New Orleans off the field was the right one. Gruden also dialed up a fourth-and-1 touchdown pass from Carr to Waller as the Raiders don’t look to be the same goal-to-go disaster they were a year ago. Defense was a problem, but did get one takeaway and tackled better after an extremely poor start. The way the Raiders got off the deck after it looked early on as if the Saints would run them out of their own building speaks to coaching as well.