Raiders Game Review: How Key Rookies Performed vs. Jets

The Las Vegas Raiders are back in the win column and sit at .500 after eight weeks. The win against the New York Jets was a breath of fresh air for a Raiders team needing to end a four-game winless skid that left them winless in October.

The Raiders tried a few new strategies that garnered some encouraging results, including a change at running back and right guard, while more of the younger defensive backs saw their number called and played significant snaps.

I spent some time rewatching the game from Sunday and focusing specifically on the five rookies who saw increased snaps. Let’s take a look at my notes from the Raiders' win against the Jets.

Masses Raiders — Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) attempts to make a catch against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses (35) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive Backs Were Up-and-Down

When Darien Porter went down on the first play of the game, in came rookie cornerbacks Hezekiah Masses and Jermod McCoy, both of whom played at least 25 snaps.

Masses flashed this week with a much more consistent day in coverage and made arguably the biggest defensive play of the game outside of Jeremy Chinn’s game-winning interception. On a third-and-long inside the Raiders' 15-yard line with less than five minutes to play, Masses baited Geno Smith working the flat-corner Cover 2 side of Cover 6. He worked into the flat, then sank with depth to the corner and made an excellent play on the ball to force a field goal.

McCoy saw the most snaps of his career so far and was what you would expect from a talented defender still working his way toward feeling comfortable with his previously surgically repaired knee. McCoy was inconsistent, with a toolkit that saw him change direction with a snap but misplayed his technique in certain coverages, such as trail or man-to-man.

Stukes Raiders — Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (15) catches a pass against Las Vegas Raiders safety Treydan Stukes (31) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Safety Treydan Stukes had a much better day than he had in the last month. I thought he did well to close on the football in both the run and passing game, using his short-area burst to close the distance. He made a nice pass breakup on Kenyon Sadiq early in the game while showcasing the ability to cover a lot of ground as a single-high defender, so this game was an encouraging moment for Stukes.

Trey Zuhn’s Debut

I think the Raiders found their mainstay at right guard for the time being. Trey Zuhn III made his first career start and looked as good as I thought he would.

As a run blocker, I thought Zuhn had sufficient drive and push at the point of attack, showcasing good climbs to the second level with ease thanks to ample functional athleticism for the position. He did a great job torquing his hips to seal off stretch plays and played with good short-area quickness to reach his landmarks.

Zuhn Raiders — Sep 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Trey Zuhn III (66) runs onto the field during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Brytus-Imagn Images. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Zuhn has to do a better job hitting his landmarks with better timing and could’ve gotten off duo or combo blocks to hit the second-level defender, though sometimes it was the Jets linebackers scraping over the top at a lightning-quick clip.

In pass protection, the athleticism is clear when the former third-round pick was mirroring and matching pass rushers from the interior, displaying good mobility. There were times when Zuhn’s lack of length hurt him against long-levered defenders, but he made up for it with good timing and hand strikes in his sets, matching that with an improved anchor from his college days. I found myself encouraged by Zuhn’s performance.

Mike Washington Becomes Lead Running Back

Washington Raiders — Oct 25, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. (4) rushes the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With 25 carries for 83 yards, the rookie from Arkansas was impressive as the lead tailback, with Ashton Jeanty working out of a role as the third-down pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Washington is getting more comfortable fitting into head coach Klint Kubiak’s wide zone-blocking scheme. Kubiak did well to mix up his gap and zone-blocking concepts to get the best of both worlds for Washington.

The fourth-round selection from this past spring played with sufficient vision and followed his blockers well, and he has a large, powerful frame for a running back that allows him to handle a workhorse load. I thought Washington could’ve attacked backside cutback opportunities, and that will come with more reps and feel at this level, but he was a handful to bring down in space.

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