DENVER – Raiders safety Nate Allen injured the same knee last week that put him on short-term injured reserve earlier in the year, leaving a void at strong safety.
It was filled by cornerback TJ Carrie earlier this year. The same switch was expected once Allen was ruled out of Sunday’s game at Denver. That’s not what played out.
Reserve Taylor Mays started for Allen and played 74 defensive snaps during the 15-12 victory over the Broncos. Carrie remained at cornerback, with 61 snaps rotating between the outside and the slot.
That left DJ Hayden with scraps, playing just 18 snaps – Carrie was banged up early on – in the entire game. Going with Mays could be considered a gamble. He hasn’t been effective in prolonged defensive stretches, but played decent against Denver.
He was credited with two tackles and was only targeted once in coverage. Hayden had three tackles and allowed two receptions in as many targets for 20 yards.
Mays wasn’t the only injury replacement to see significant time. Right tackle Austin Howard played just 20 offensive snaps before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him the rest of the game.
Khalif Barnes was the primary fill-in, with 38 of the team’s 57 offensive snaps. He allowed one quarterback pressure in an expanded role.
It is uncertain how long Howard will be out. Any time missed is tough, considering he ranked among the top 15 tackles in pass protection.
Here’s a look at the entire Raiders snap count from Sunday’s game:
OFFENSE
57 – OT Donald Penn, OG J’Marcus Webb, C Rodney Hudson, QB Derek Carr
45 – WR Amari Cooper, RB Latavius Murray
38 – OT Khalif Barnes, TE Clive Walford
35 – WR Michael Crabtree
34 – TE Lee Smith
21 – WR Seth Roberts
20 – TE Mychal Rivera, Austin Howard
18 – FB Marcel Reece
17 – RB Jamize Olawale
9 – WR Andre Holmes
1 – OL Tony Bergstrom, RB Taiwan Jones
DEFENSE
80 – LB Malcolm Smith
79 – CB David Amerson, S Charles Woodson
74 – S Taylor Mays, DE Khalil Mack
70 – DE Mario Edwards Jr.
61 – CB TJ Carrie
51 – DE Denico Autry
49 – DE Benson Mayowa
43 – LB Ben Heeney
40 – Neiko Thorpe
38 – DT Dan Williams, LB Curtis Lofton
34 – DT Justin Ellis
26 – DT Leon Orr
18 – CB DJ Hayden
16 – DT Stacy McGee
9 – Dexter McDonald
1 – Larry Asante
SPECIAL TEAMS
29 – Lorenzo Alexander, Keith McGill
24 – Andre Holmes, Korey Toomer
23 – Taiwan Jones
22 –Jamize Olawale
21 – Mychal Rivera
17 – Larry Asante
14 – Ben Heeney
13 – Neiko Thorpe, Marquette King, Jon Condo
10 – Jeremy Ross
9 – Marcel Reece
8 – Taylor Mays
6 – Lee Smith, Benson Mayowa
5 – Khalil Mack, Mario Edwards Jr., TJ Carrie, Denico Autry, Dan Williams, Curtis Lofton, Stacy McGee, Sebastian Janikowski
4 – DJ Hayden
2 – Donald Penn, J’Marcus Webb, Gabe Jackson, Khalif Barnes, Clive Walford, Seth Roberts, Tony Bergstrom, Leon Orr
