Bruce Gradkowski

Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey's inconsistent play during his rookie season made him a lightning rod for criticism. Three games into this season, he is gaining widespread attention for all the right reasons.

Quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski targeted Heyward-Bey 24 times the past two games in an attempt to take advantage of single coverage and Heyward-Bey's maturity into a reliable option.

"This time last year, Darrius would have his head down if something goes wrong," Gradkowski said. "Now he knows that this is the game. I am going to miss throws, receivers are going to drop balls, that's the name of the game. That stuff is going to happen, but it's what you do after that."