3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 9 Win

Don't look now, but the Las Vegas Raiders are 5-3 and in prime position to make a push for the postseason. They managed to survive a furious comeback attempt by the rival Los Angeles Chargers and rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, as a lengthy review eventually overturned a potential game-winning L.A. touchdown.

The Raiders have to feel fortunate about escaping with the win, but they can also take comfort in winning back-to-back games after a Week 7 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While the Raiders aren't yet an elite team, they are looking like a playoff squad and have set themselves up nicely for the second half of the 2020 season.

Here are three things we learned about Las Vegas during its Week 9 win over the Chargers.

While quarterback Derek Carr is finally flourishing in Jon Gruden's offense (more on that shortly), one of the biggest takeaways from Sunday is this: The Raiders are loaded at the running back position.

Josh Jacobs showed that he could be a special back during his rookie season of 2019. Last week, he ran around, over and through the Cleveland Browns, helping to deliver a decisive 16-6 victory. This week, Devontae Booker led the way with 68 rushing yards and an impressive 8.5 yards-per-carry average.

Jacobs added 65 yards, No. 3 back Jalen Richard chipped in a carry and a catch, and the Raiders racked up 160 yards on the ground. This allowed them to control the tempo of the game and keep Herbert off the field for long stretches—a strategy that ultimately paid off.

After failing to do so in the team's first six games, Las Vegas has gone over 150 rushing yards in back-to-back weeks.

Between Jacobs and Booker, Las Vegas appears to have a legitimately scary two-headed rushing attack. Richard is an underrated receiving back, and with a powerful offensive line, the Raiders should be able to lean on their backfield moving forward. This could be huge as the weather turns heading into December and January.

The Raiders made former Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III the first wideout taken in the 2020 NFL draft. After eight games, fans have to be frustrated with his lack of consistency and production. The speedster once again failed to make a statistical impact, as he failed to come down with any of his three targets.

Through six starts, Ruggs has just 10 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown.

While it's unwise to measure Rugg's contributions on stats alone—his speed does help open up things underneath—it's clear that the rookie isn't close to being an elite receiver. Reliability has not been his calling card, and Carr has instead turned to the likes of Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow and Nelson Agholor in key situations.

Of course, this does mean that the Raiders passing attack has room to grow. If the first-year pass-catcher can put it together and become a more complete perimeter receiver, the Raiders' 26th-ranked passing offense is going to make a jump.

Hopefully, Ruggs' breakout game is waiting on the near horizon.

There was a time when fans and media members alike wondered if coach Jon Gruden truly believed in Carr. It wasn't outlandish to think that Gruden would want his own quarterback instead of the one he inherited.

After yet another strong performance, however, Carr is proving to be the right quarterback for Gruden's offense—and any questions about his job security should be deep in the rearview.

While Carr only threw for 165 yards, he made several timely throws, tossed two touchdown passes and delivered in critical situations. In short, he played smart, efficient football, which is what this Raiders team needs from under center.

"Derek, he's not thinking, he's just being himself, he's playing not worried about what anyone is saying," defensive end Maxx Crosby said, per Levi Edwards of the team's official website. "He's been so impressive, and we're halfway through the season he's just getting started."

Carr has passed for 2,002 yards with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season. He and Gruden appear to be in lockstep, and Las Vegas is likely to continue winning close games because of it.