Tre Tucker kept showing up for the Raiders even as the losses kept piling in.
Las Vegas fell 35-21 to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, and it marked the second time this season the Raiders lost by more than two touchdowns. More importantly, it was their second defeat by that margin in the last three games. But through the rough stretch, Tucker has kept producing.
He followed up his previous strong outing with another touchdown and another 100-yard game against the Rams. For a receiver in the middle of a breakout season and angling for a new contract, it was another reminder that he’s making a real case for a deal before free agency next spring.
Tucker now ranks 15th in the NFL in receiving yards and sits third in the AFC. He also leads the Raiders in receiving, topping even Brock Bowers, though Bowers has played two more games. And Tucker has added some big-play punch to the offense, with three catches of 40-plus yards this season.
That kind of explosiveness has been badly needed in Las Vegas, and Tucker has delivered it.
What’s made this stretch especially interesting is that he’s no longer looking like only a deep threat. Coming out of college, that was the reputation. This season, though, he’s showing he can create offense in more than one way.
The biggest change has come after the catch. Against the Rams, Tucker piled up 65 yards after the catch and forced two missed tackles, with one of those plays ending in a touchdown. Klint Kubiak found ways to get him the ball in space, and the result was exactly what the Raiders wanted.
One of the best examples came when Tucker lined up at running back. Late in the third quarter, Las Vegas used him on a flat route while the Rams showed a pre-snap blitz. That made the coverage look like man-to-man, giving the Raiders the matchup they wanted: Tucker against defensive end Bryon Young.
It went exactly the way Las Vegas drew it up. Tucker was left open, Young couldn’t match his speed, and Tucker turned the catch into a 41-yard gain after breaking a tackle.
He wasn’t done there. Kubiak later dialed up a designed choice route with Tucker running a corner route, and the Raiders again got him matched up one-on-one with a safety. Tucker won easily, made a man miss, and finished the play for a touchdown that helped pull Las Vegas back into the game.
If Tucker keeps expanding his game this way, a Pro Bowl nod doesn’t feel far-fetched. At the very least, he’s giving the Raiders plenty to think about as they look ahead.
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The chatter has not been limited to one player, either, with Isaiah Pola-Mao, Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins also mentioned as possible trade candidates depending on how the season and the coaching situation unfold. For Raiders fans, the concern is less about a single rumor than the larger question of whether the front office views this roster as one worth holding together, or one that could be reshaped before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Depth Chart Reveals Where This Skid Is Really Hurting
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Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said the staff adjusts practice routines every week to help the team improve, and this one has clearly been aimed at tightening up the details. With the offense still searching for more production and the defense looking for steadier execution, the next stretch will show whether those weekly tweaks can start to matter in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Could Get Needed Help Back With One Big Role Question
Jack Bech is back in the conversation for the Raiders at a time when they could use another dependable body at wide receiver. The rookie has already built a reputation inside the building for his energy, work habits and willingness to block in the run game, traits that tend to earn trust quickly in a room where every role matters. After missing time with a broken arm, he is again eligible to return, which gives Las Vegas another option as it tries to sort out its passing-game rotation.
Klint Kubiak has left the door open for Bech to play against the Jets, but the bigger question is how much of a role he can handle right away. For a Raiders offense looking for help, simply getting him back on the field would matter, yet the real intrigue is whether his return comes with a meaningful workload or just a limited first step back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]