Raiders’ role players are on a roll
Raiders’ role players are on a roll
In recent years past, if the Raiders lost a key offensive lineman or defensive back, they were toast.
[...] they lost starting tight end Lee Smith and on Sunday night, they played the Super Bowl-champion Broncos without cornerback Sean Smith.
Role players such as Mychal Rivers, Andre Holmes, TJ Carrie and DJ Hayden should all take a bow.
“That’s what you need to go into the postseason,” said Carrie, a cornerback.
Carrie and Hayden, a once-maligned 2014 first-round pick, pushed around Denver receivers DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on Sunday night, holding them to a combined 10 catches for 103 yards.
[...] the game plan Sunday was clearly to let the Denver receivers feel the Raiders’ presence.
Holmes, in his fifth year, had two catches for 27 yards — both for first downs — against the Broncos, but it was his special-teams work that drew raves.
[...] he has showed off his hands with a tough touchdown catch at Tampa Bay on Oct. 30, and had a key block on a touchdown run Sunday.