NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 1 PFF ReFocused: Oakland Raiders 24, Denver Broncos 16

Even without AB, Derek Carr put together a strong performance to lead the Oakland Raiders to a 24-16 win over the Denver Broncos.

PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.

All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game and the other games played this week will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle. ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats.

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Final Score

Oakland Raiders 24, Denver Broncos 16

Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr was excellent throwing at all areas of the field, completing 22-of-26 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. He had multiple big-time throws in the affair and finished the game with a higher average depth of target than we've come to expect from the Raiders signal-caller.

Filling Antonio Brown's shoes with ease, Tyrell Williams put on a show in his Raiders debut. The former Los Angeles Chargers wideout caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown without dropping a single pass.

Veteran Benson Mayowa was impressive in limited action, as he recorded multiple pressures from just a handful of pass-rushing opportunities. He was easily Oakland's most productive pass-rusher on the night.

Vontaze Burfict was everywhere for the Raiders' defense Monday night. He made multiple defensive stops both in coverage and against the run.

Rookie Takeaways

Josh Jacobs was impressive in his NFL regular season debut. He forced multiple missed tackles, picked up first downs and gained a high percentage of his yards after contact.

Denver Broncos

Isaac Yiadom was an absolute liability in coverage. He allowed multiple big plays when targeted and never really had a shining moment. Kareem Jackson was Denver's top cornerback on the night, and even he allowed multiple first downs.

Bradley Chubb and Von Miller were held in check all night long. Neither of the two edge defenders made a significant impact as pass-rushers or in run defense.

Rookie guard Dalton Risner was easily Denver's top performer on the offensive side of the ball. He was an absolute force in the run game, and he held his own in pass protection for a majority of the night.

Second-year receiver Courtland Sutton was impressive working with a high target volume. He finished the night 120 receiving yards and recorded multiple forced missed tackles on his seven receptions.

Rookie Takeaways

Noah Fant didn't do a lot to impress as a receiver or blocker in this one. As mentioned above, Risner was the Broncos rookie that shined brightest against Oakland.

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