Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker caught five passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium, posting by far the best single-game performance by a Las Vegas wideout this season. The second score came with 1:39 remaining, a 44-yard sliding grab in the back of the end zone that gave the Raiders a chance to attempt an onside kick.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 313 yards, said Tucker's speed continues to surprise him despite a career playing alongside receivers like DeSean Jackson and Aldrick Robinson. "I came off the field and said, 'I think he's faster than I realize he is,'" Cousins said. "There are times I just need to launch and he'll go get it. He showed me that again today."
Cousins called the final touchdown a trust-building play. "Big time the way he finished it to go for it and to hold on," he said. "It starts to build trust and respect when a guy goes and makes a catch like that."
Tucker downplayed his individual production, crediting the other ten players on the field. "It's just the other 10 people out there doing their job and me finding a way to do my 1/11th," he said. "Obviously, Kirk trusts me. So when the ball is in the air, it's mine or nobody's. That's my mentality."
The performance highlighted the rest of the receiver group's struggles. Excluding Tucker, Raiders wideouts combined for one catch for 9 yards on six targets against Buffalo. Through five games, Tucker has 19 receptions while the rest of the position group has combined for just 22. Cousins said the offense needs to capitalize on opportunities, while Tucker insisted the group's only focus is winning.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·