Sportsnaut
Coming off a frustrating home-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders have only a short week to regroup. As part of reversing the early trend, the Silver and Black must adjust snap counts for a few rotational players in a matchup with the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
After two weeks, the Raiders have a small sample size of what’s worked and some things that the play-callers need to change to maximize talent across the roster.
The Commanders may start backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in place of Jayden Daniels, who has a knee sprain. If the Raiders put together a solid rotation across the defensive line against Washington’s shaky front, they could hold their third consecutive opponent to fewer than 21 points.
Though it should go without saying, Las Vegas has to find a way to feature its top rookie. With all of that in mind, here are three Raiders who should see an uptick in playing time in Week 3.
In Week 1, Tyree Wilson recorded three tackles and a sack. He hit New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye twice. Despite that solid showing, the Raiders cut his snap count down from 53 percent to 24 percent.
Head coach Pete Carroll said (starts at 9:40) he wants to get Wilson more than 14 snaps, but last Monday’s game flow contributed to his reduced role. Wilson is in a crucial year. If he has a solid season, it could make the team’s decision about picking up his fifth-year option a tough call in the offseason. Though for now, he’s yet to meet the expectations of a first-round pick.
The coaching staff should feature Wilson’s inside-outside versatility against the Washington Commanders’ below-average offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has allowed 11 pressures, which include four sacks. Meanwhile, right guard Nick Allegretti has given up six pressures, including a sack.
Oddly, Ashton Jeanty makes the short list of players who should get more snaps. The Raiders selected him with the sixth overall pick. Yet, the coaching staff has cycled in Zamir White and Dylan Laube in the rotation enough to notably water down his workload.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jeanty has been on the field for 16 pass-blocking snaps and allowed three pressures, including a sack. He needs to improve in that area to increase his pass-catching opportunities on third downs.
However, in the meantime, the Raiders can still feed him the ball on the ground. In Week 2, against the Los Angeles Chargers, he only logged 11 carries for 43 yards in a game that didn’t get out of hand on the scoreboard.
Las Vegas should aim for more offensive balance on Sunday. The club has the fifth-fewest carries with the sixth-most pass attempts. When asked about Jeanty’s touches, Carroll said the team is “breaking him in.” The Commanders could get a full dose of the Raiders’ top draft pick...
