Oakland Raiders in Good Shape After Huge Win

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Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders safety Karl Joseph (42) reaches for a pass that was intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Chris Moore (10) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Great 2016 1st-Round Pick

When the Raiders were getting torched in the first two games, 2016 1st-round pick Karl Joseph was on the bench. Then of course, things got better when he started his first game against the Titans. His statistical impact was 10 total tackles in his debut.

But his biggest impact was what you want from a 1st-round pick—he made the secondary around him better. He did a good job of communicating with them, lining them up correctly. We didn’t see the blown coverages we saw in the first two games.

But after all, that was against Marcus Mariota at quarterback, not Drew Brees or Matt Ryan. Then against the Ravens, Joseph proved his worth more against quarterback Joe Flacco. He had eight total tackles and darn-near had his first INT individually.

His aggression and physicality set the tone against the physical Ravens as well. The Raiders held Flacco to well under 300 yards until his 52-yard TD to Steve Smith. And that wasn’t given, it was earned by a future Hall of Fame receiver.

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