Derek Carr, QB, second Pro Bowl selection: Still keeping pace in the NFL MVP conversation, despite a dislocated right pinkie finger keeping him in the shotgun or pistol the past three-and-a-half games, the third-year quarterback has seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this season. With two games remaining in the regular season, Carr has passed for 3,705 yards while completing a career-best 63.5 percent of his attempts, with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, second Pro Bowl selection: A leading candidate for NFL defensive player of the year, Mack tied an NFL single-season record with an eight-game sack streak in which he also had strip-sacks in three straight games. The first player ever named first-team All-Pro at two different positions in the same seasons, Mack is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded edge rusher (93.5) and has an NFL-high 81 QB pressures.
Donald Penn, LT, second Pro Bowl selection: Carr’s blindside protector has been, to quote PFF, playing at an All-Pro level this season. Through 14 games, Penn has not allowed a sack and is the only tackle in the league yet to allow a sack in 14 games. His run-block grade of 89.3 is the second-highest of any tackle this season.
Amari Cooper, WR, second Pro Bowl selection: Cooper’s production might be tailing off of late -- he has not had a 100-yard receiving game since Oct. 30 and has not had more than 59 yards receiving since then. Cooper had only one catch last weekend in San Diego, but the 29-yard catch-and-run was his 13th catch of at least 25 yards this season. The second-year pro has more catches this season than last (74-72) but fewer yards (1,038-1,070) and TD catches (4-6) this far.
Kelechi Osemele, LG, first Pro Bowl selection: The physical, if not spiritual leader, of the Raiders’ massive offensive line, Osemele has not allowed a sack of Carr this season, per PFF, and is a road-grader for Oakland’s running game. He missed one game this season, at Kansas City, due to kidney stones.
Reggie Nelson, FS, second Pro Bowl selection: A year after leading the NFL with eight interceptions, Nelson has four picks for the Raiders this season, including the game-sealing interception against Philip Rivers on Sunday in San Diego. In his first season with Oakland, Nelson has recovered two fumbles while adding a veteran presence to a unit missing the retired Charles Woodson.
Rodney Hudson, C, first Pro Bowl selection: Yes, he “double-snapped” Carr, according to Carr, when the QB dislocated his right pinkie finger in two places against the Carolina Panthers. But Hudson has also provided a brainy leadership presence to one of the more dominant offensive lines in the NFL, a unit that has allowed Carr to be sacked a league-low six times this season, per PFF.
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Marquette King, P: Entering the past weekend, King led the NFL in dance celebrations (Ray Lewis’ Squirrel Dance, Cam Newton’s dab, King’s own riding a horse gallop) and was in the top 10 in gross average (47.6 yards), punts placed inside the 20-yard line (27) and net average (41.2 yards). He has twice been named ESPN Stats & Information’s punter of the week and had a 27-yard run on a bad snap on fourth-and-24 at Tampa Bay.
Bruce Irvin, OLB: Robin to Mack’s Batman, Irvin is coming off a strong performance in San Diego, with two sacks of Rivers. With seven sacks, Irvin is one off the career-high eight he had as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Irvin told reporters Tuesday that he planned to get 10 sacks this season. He had three forced fumbles in the Raiders’ first four games and has four on the season.
Michael Crabtree, WR: Although Crabtree has dropped a league-leading 12 passes, per PFF, and has dropped 13.5 percent of the catchable balls thrown to him, the second-worst such percentage in the NFL, Crabtree has been Carr’s security blanket. Crabtree’s eight TD catches are one off his career high, and with 134 more yards, he will have his first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2012, the second of his eight-year career. Entering last week, 74 of his catches went for first downs.
Latavius Murray, RB: His touches might be down, but his production is up. Murray might not duplicate his 1,000-yard rushing season of a year ago (he has 737 rushing yards through 14 games), but he is averaging more yards per carry this season than last (4.2-4.0), and with two games remaining, Murray has already doubled last year’s rushing TD total with 12 this season, including three games with at least two scores.
Jamize Olawale, FB: Far from a hammerhead blocking fullback, Olawale has the two longest passing plays of the season for the Raiders: a 75-yard catch-and-run TD in Mexico City against the Houston Texans and a 68-yarder at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8. In fact, Olawale’s 19.7 yards per catch average on his 11 catches is the highest mark in the NFL among running backs/fullbacks.