Imagine the Raiders added an explosive pass rusher with first round athleticism and scheme versatility via the waiver wire?
That’s what Raiders fans hoped for when rumors circulated that the team put in a claim for Takk McKinley who got waived by the Falcons. Instead, the UCLA alum got picked up by the Bengals, a team he trolled.
McKinley only registered one sack this year and 17.5 sacks since 2017. However, he would’ve been a nice compliment to a Raiders defensive line that is already playing solid after two sacks last week versus the Chargers.
Shout out to Carl Nassib for finally living up to those free agency expectations. Crosby is also finding a way to get home again with better play from his supporting cast.
Ultimately, the game came down to the final play. Los Angeles basically won the game before the booth overturned a touchdown catch. They were down Joey Bosa and we were down Trent Brown so that is a wash.
All AFC West games come down to the last second and the Chargers are going to find ways to be the Chargers. You almost feel bad for a team that could have a much better record if they could just finish games. But than again, fuck the Bolts.
Anyways, the Raiders will play another AFC West rival this week. They take another historic NFL rivalry to new heights in a new market as Denver travels to Vegas.
Much like the Chargers, the Broncos are a young team with their fair share of injuries. Von Miller and Jurrell Casey would’ve been a scary as duo but both have been out. The only common victory these teams share is close wins over the Chargers.
Last week, the Raiders receivers again flashed big-play ability. The scary thing about the Las Vegas offense is it feels like they can win grounding out victories or throwing the ball across the field.
Trent Brown will be out again so Sam Young will need to keep being solid at right tackle. The Raiders are back at home so they should flash some passing explosion. My Fanduel circled Darren Waller’s matchup too.
Offensively, Denver is a bit more scary. They feature two backs who can carve up the Silver and Black with Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. Jonathan Hankins needs to be stout and can we please get some better angles from Cory Littleton?
Never mind, Littleton is out. That means Noah Fant could have a big game as the Raiders still can struggle versus tight ends with his athleticism down Littleton. We also can’t forget Jerry Jeudy who Jon Gruden complimented this week. K.j. Hamler has speed that could give the Raiders problems.
Thus, it will come down to pressuring quarterback Drew Lock. I am still not sure if Lock is good or bad. He’s up and down in a limited sample size. The Raiders can’t give him any confidence or rhythm. Disrupt this young QB all damn day.
A turnover or two would be nice for the Raiders defense’s confidence. You never want to overlook a division opponent but if the Raiders are serious playoff contenders they will show out today.
Winning against the Broncos would give the Raiders a win against each division opponent. I can’t remember the last time any of us could talk shit to all three AFC West division opponents. Plus, the Silver and Black play Kansas City next week a t home. You know the Chiefs will look for revenge.
Hopefully, the Raiders will be healthy with Littleton and Brown back. However, they are in the playoffs here and parlaying three division wins only gets us that much closer to cementing a playoff berth.
Right now, the Dolphins, Raiders, Titans, Colts and Browns all have three losses. One of those South Teams will get a division crown but the rest are fighting for two spots assuming Baltimore or Pittsburgh does not collapse in the second half of the season. .
Regardless, none of that matters if the Raiders do not handle business versus Denver first today. Let’s hope they not just win but make a statement in the process too. Just make the playoffs maybe? We still got a whole half a season where anything can happen.
