Oakland Raiders: Preseason Week 3 — Stock Up/Stock Down
By Nico Di Fede
Stock Up: Keisean Nixon, CB
Keisean Nixon had a better game than most everyone on the Raiders team with his best performance of the preseason following two games where the undrafted free agent from South Carolina also impressed.
On the Packers first drive, Nixon played textbook man-to-man coverage on wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown who was running a streak route down the right sideline forcing the incompletion and a punt.
On the Packers second drive, Nixon once again showed textbook man-to-man coverage on the same exact route as the last one, a streak down the right sideline.
He mirrored wide receiver Jake Kumerow and stuck his hand out to get the deflection at the perfect time despite not turning his head until the last second.
A little later in the first quarter on the Packers third drive, Nixon successfully covered another deep ball, this one in the middle of the field. This was press-man like the other two plays and Nixon turned his head and played the ball perfectly to record a deflection.
In the second quarter, Nixon made a tackle coming from the other side of the field as he read the play-action pass all the way and was the first to get to the open man only allowing three yards in the process.
Later in the quarter, he forced another incompletion on yet another streak route down the right sideline saving a touchdown. That is three coverage snaps where he has saved a would-be touchdown due to his tight coverage in only the first half.
Nixon gave up one catch towards the end of the second which was a short gain on a quick inside slant. Other than that he was basically perfect in coverage.
According to Scott Bair of NBC Sports, Nixon has been targeted 15 times so far in the preseason, only allowing five catches for just 37 yards.
Nixon has likely played himself into an active roster spot and not just a practice squad spot which would have been the assumed best-case scenario prior to the preseason.
With one more game left in the preseason, he can stop any discussion on whether or not he makes it all together with another solid outing.