Silver And Black Pride
Both teams are looking to bounce back from losses and keep pace in their respective division races as the 1-1 Las Vegas Raiders take on the 1-1 Washington Commanders. That heightens the stakes for this rare cross-conference battle and rematch of Super Bowl 18, making the key matchups below even more important.
To put the age gap between these two players in perspective, Jeanty (21) was eight years old when Wagner (35) was drafted in 2012.
The six-time first-team and five-time second-team All-Pro linebacker is in his 14th season as a professional and has a gold jacket waiting for him when he hangs ‘em up. While Wagner may not move quite like he used to, he’s still one of the best run defenders at his position.
Per Pro Football Focus, he ranks second with a 91.4 run defense grade, eight defensive stops against the run and a 17.4 run stop percentage this season. While that’s only through two weeks, he also graded out as the second-best run-defending linebacker (90.8) last year while finishing tied for fifth with 36 run stops during the 2024 regular season.
Additionally, Wagner has developed a reputation as one of, if not the most, sure tacklers in the league and has yet to miss so far this season, per PFF. Meanwhile, Jeanty’s ability to break tackles is a big part of why he was such a coveted draft prospect, and he’s managed to force eight missed tackles on 30 carries during his first two NFL games.
In other words, not only is this a matchup between the old and new guard, but it is also a battle where both players’ strengths will be put to the test.
However, the Raiders have struggled to block for the Boise State product so far. He’s averaging just 2.7 yards per carry but has 2.8 yards after contact per carry, meaning he’s getting contacted at the line of scrimmage regularly and having to fight for every yard.
So, Las Vegas’ offensive line has to step up, too. But if they do, Jeanty against Wagner will be a very enticing one-on-one battle.
Just looking at the two players’ résumés, this should be a significant mismatch. McLaurin is a two-time Pro Bowler, was a second-team All-Pro last season and has a streak of six consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. Meanwhile, Kelly has been let go by four teams, including the Commanders, since entering the league two years ago, and Sunday will be just his third career start.
However, McLaurin missed almost all of training camp while seeking a contract extension and has gotten off to a slow start with just seven catches for 75 yards and no touchdowns through two games. Kelly, on the other hand, has emerged as the Raiders’ best cornerback and has recorded two pass breakups (should be three if it weren’t for a bogus pass interference penalty) in as many weeks.
Granted, the wide receiver should still...
