Tre Tucker — Week 3: Four Targets, Four Catches

27 to 22, Saints, 10 50 left in the fourth quarter, first and 10 at the New Orleans 21. Kirk Cousins threw short right to Tre Tucker, 15 yards in the air, and he was tackled at the Saints six. +1.0 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position. Two snaps later Cody White caught the four-yard touchdown that gave the Raiders a 28-to-27 lead they did not give back.

The line: four targets, four catches, 43 yards, two first downs, +2.5 expected points on the targets. Eight yards to the Saints 15 early in the second quarter, on a drive that ended in a field goal; 11 over the middle to the 36 with 58 seconds left in the half, on the drive that ended in the field goal for a 16-to-13 halftime lead; nine to the 36 with three 55 left in the third, the snap before Mike Washington's 36-yard touchdown; and the 15. Two targets in each half. A nine-yard Ashton Jeanty run in the first quarter went into the book as three after a holding call against Tucker.

Four targets were second on the Raiders, behind Brock Bowers's 13 in Bowers's first game of the season, and 13 percent of the 30 throws that had a receiver.

Back in June the preview leaned toward Tucker — a receiver who had led the Raiders in targets and receiving yards on an 18.6 percent share — and said the lean folds if Bowers takes the targets back. Week 1 was four targets and 27 yards. Week 2, with Bowers still out, was seven targets and a hundred 19 yards, and put his two-game share at last year's number to the decimal. Sunday was the first test of that caveat: Bowers 13, Tucker four. Tucker caught every ball thrown to him, but the share is where the preview said to look. Three games, 15 of Cousins's 92 throws, 16 percent. One game with Bowers is a first look, not an answer. Las Vegas is home to the Chiefs on Sunday the fourth.

_Data via nflverse._