Raiders deviated from expected plan in Week One

Before Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, the Las Vegas Raiders did not commit fully to a starting cornerback trio.

Eric Stokes and Darnay Holmes were locked in, but the remaining spot on the boundary was not confirmed by anyone. Kyu Blu Kelly, Darien Porter and Decamerion Richardson were the three candidates to get the final starting position. Although Kelly appeared as the starter in the team’s unofficial depth chart, head coach Pete Carroll suggested the Raiders would use a rotation of players at the spot.

However, that did not turn out to be the case as the game played out.

Kelly managed to remain as starter for the entire Patriots game.

Against the Patriots, Kelly was the every-down starter opposite Stokes, while Porter and Richardson did not receive much time in the game.

To his credit, Kelly did a good job in repaying the Raiders’ confidence in him. He came up with nine tackles during the game, second on the team only to linebacker Devin White. Kelly was also able to notch a pass deflection in the game.

It was a promising sign for Kelly, who exploded up the depth chart after a strong training camp and preseason.

That said, the performance against the Patriots was not perfect for Kelly and the secondary. The first half did see New England take initiative, and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte did land over 100 receiving yards in the game. However, the Raiders now appear to have a legitimate cornerback trio, which can help them find chemistry and consistency.

Expect Kelly to be the starter again when the Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.