Raiders preseason week 4 Ballers & Busters: Part two

Busters

Chris Humes

He played just 19 snaps and you could tell just about every one of them because the Seahawks were going after him constantly and with much success. The final drive of the first half for Humes was like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Trevone Boykin smelled blood and was feasting on Humes. He gave up a 10-yard catch on the first play. Two plays later he gave up a 7-yard first down catch, then a 4-yard run, then a 15-yard catch, then missed the tackle on a pass in the flat for a 4-yard gain, then gave too much cushion on an 8-yard first down catch. It was a McDonald near interception and a Xavier Woodson-Luster sack that would eventually stop the bleeding and keep the Seahawks from scoring before halftime.

On the Seahawks’ final drive of the game, he tugged on his receiver’s jersey and was called for pass interference to set the Seahawks up in the red zone and they scored what would be the game-winning touchdown on the next play. Humes was among those waived in the final cuts and was not brought back onto the practice squad.

Connor Cook

Watching this one I kept thinking ‘poor KJ Brent’. The man is playing for his NFL career and has a quarterback who can’t seem to get him the ball. He was targeted 11 times, but caught just four of them. His first target was from Cook on the Raiders’ third series. It was on third and three and Brent ran a route into the left flat, but Cook’s pass was off target resulting in another punt. Cook then missed Brent two more times on the next series, including on third down throwing as if Brent was coming back for it but Brent ran a go route up the sideline.

Brent didn’t get his first catch until EJ Manuel came back in the game in the second quarter. When Cook came back in for the third quarter, it was back to bad passes and missed targets. His first pass he panicked thinking the blitz wasn’t going to be picked up (it was) and threw short of Brent up the left sideline. The drive ended with him throwing off target to Johnny Holton on third and six. The ball was nearly intercepted, but thanks to a couple roughing penalties on the Seahawks and a 14-yard run, the Raiders had moved into field goal range to tie the game at 10-10.

Late in the third quarter, Cook finally made some plays, including a perfect back shoulder pass to Brent for 17 yards. After that he threw two off target incompletions, one to Brent. A well placed pass to George Atkinson III in stride for a 24-yard catch and run kept the drive alive. Runs and Seahawks penalties moved them in field goal range again, but a Cook pass off his back foot that fell short of Johnny Holton and a holding on Ian Silberman ended it. Giorgio Tavecchio would miss the 36-yard field goal and the game remained tied.

After a drive for a field goal with Manuel at QB, Cook would be given the chance to play the hero. A couple receptions were all he could muster. On third and 12, he threw a pass for Brent that was slightly off target into double coverage. It was defended and intercepted off the deflection to the end the game.

Cook finished going 8 of 19 for 88 yards and an interception for a 34.5 passer rating. Only three of those completions went to wide receivers for 35 yards.

Shilique Calhoun

Three quarters into this game, it was pretty much all conditions normal for Calhoun. His only stat was a tackle on a 2-yard run on third and one. He was also called for defensive holding, but it was declined.

In the third quarter he was blocked on a 9-yard run and missed what should’ve been a sure sack on third and three that resulted in the quarterback escaping the pocket and converting on a 7-yard reception. Later he gave up a 6-yard catch to start out the Seahawks’ game-winning touchdown drive. He also had a sack (!) on the drive, but it was completely unblocked. Nicholas Morrow went underneath on a blitz and the Seahawks misplayed it, with the tackle and the running back both going for the block on Morrow, leaving Calhoun free and clear for the sack. And yet somehow it was surprising when he got it.

Calhoun was invisible the entire preseason after a similar rookie season and was among those players who were waived in the initial 53-man roster cuts. He was brought back onto the practice squad after going unclaimed. Not what you expect from a guy who was a third round pick just a year ago.

Kenneth Durden

Durden was in the thick of the CB competition in training camp. He did himself no favors in this game. The Raiders started the game with two stops. They got things going with Durden giving up a 21-yard catch on the first play of the third drive. On a drive in the second quarter, he gave up the catch in the flat and then took out Breon Borders so neither of them could make the tackle, resulting in a 20-yard pickup. He later gave up a 9-yard catch and didn’t wrap up on third and five to give up the first down.

Breon Borders

With the interception to his credit, it may be surprising to see him here. But while Borders giveth, he also taketh away. The Seahawks’ game winning drive was almost all him. He gave up a 25-yard catch on the second play. Then on third and 11, he missed the tackle to give up the first down. A PI on Chris Humes put the Seahawks at the 16-yard-line and Borders gave up the 16-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks their final lead 17-13 and send the Raiders out of the playoffs without a win.

The undrafted rookie was waived in the final roster cuts, but an outstanding offseason and training camp was enough to get him signed back to the practice squad.

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