Kirk Cousins saw it coming with Jalen Nailor.
Long before the Las Vegas Raiders wideout put together his best game of the season in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets, Cousins said the tape was already showing signs that Nailor was close. The quarterback pointed to the way Nailor was creating separation and doing the little things right, even if the production hadn’t caught up yet.
“When you watch the tape, you see him separating. I’ve told him, ‘You’re doing a lot of good things.
We need to, I need to give you opportunities to make you right,’ if that makes sense," Cousins explained. "I think of a route he ran against the Bills late in the game, I overthrow him, but he’s winning.
He’s separating. There were a couple other examples of that in the game on Sunday where you’re like, he’s winning, he's separating, he’s beating his guy.
That’s all he can do. Then it’s our job to give him opportunities to make plays.”
That prediction paid off against the Jets.
Nailor finished with four catches on four targets for 38 yards and a touchdown, which may not jump off the page on its own. But compared with what he had done through the first seven weeks - eight catches on 20 targets for 75 yards and no touchdowns, with 1.5 games missed because of injury - it was easily his most productive outing of the year.
The bigger story was how he delivered. Nailor made key plays when the Raiders needed them most, starting with a 12-yard catch on 2nd-and-14 on the opening drive. That grab helped Las Vegas recover after a penalty had put the offense behind schedule and set up a manageable 3rd-and-2.
He came right back later in the series with another important reception, slipping off the line cleanly and working a shallow crossing route on 3rd-and-3 for 12 more yards. Those two catches helped fuel a drive that ended with a Brock Bowers touchdown.
Nailor stayed involved in the third quarter, too. On 3rd-and-7, he created strong separation on a deep dig route, shook his defender at the top of the break and moved the chains again. A few plays later, Cousins punched in a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.
Then came the biggest moment of the day. On 3rd-and-goal from the Jets’ 2-yard line, Nailor sold a delayed slant beautifully, got to the ball and hauled in the touchdown that put Las Vegas in front in the fourth quarter for good.
Afterward, Klint Kubiak made it clear the performance matched what the Raiders had been seeing behind the scenes.
“What a great great job he did,” Kubiak said. “To his credit, he’s been working hard all week, all year, and hasn’t had the opportunities. And he got opportunities today and made the most of them.”
Kubiak repeated that message on Monday, saying Nailor had already earned trust in practice.
“He’s earned it in practice, too. Jalen’s put together some really good practices, and I’m not surprised by the game that he had. He’s deserving of more opportunities, and he made the most of his yesterday.”
Las Vegas needs that version of Nailor to stick. The Raiders are looking for more help at receiver alongside Bowers, Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker, and Tucker wasn’t much of a factor against the Jets, finishing without a catch after being targeted just once.
Nailor gave the offense a needed lift on Sunday. Now the question is whether he can keep it going, starting with a tough Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
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Eric Stokes was at the center of it, as the Jets kept testing the cornerback and found enough success to keep their offense moving. He was not the only one having a rough day in the back end, either, with other Raiders defenders also struggling to slow down New York's passing game. The victory matters in the standings, but the tape will give this coaching staff plenty to sort through before the next game. [Read more 🡒]