Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders will play in their second prime-time game of the season, a “Thursday Night Football” matchup with the Denver Broncos to kick off Week 10.
What can we expect from the Raiders, who may be leaning on their younger players heading into the second half of the season with a 2-6 record?
Expect a shakeup within the wide receiver pecking order after the team traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Raiders selected two wideouts in this year’s draft, but neither has held a consistent role in the offense. In fact, neither played an offensive snap last week.
Aside from new faces in bigger roles on offense, we could see a first for the defense, while quarterback Geno Smith avoids putting the team at a disadvantage with bad habits.
Here are three bold predictions for the Raiders’ matchup with the Broncos.
On Wednesday, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Jack Bech’s role has become clear to the team, allowing for an open-ended discussion of what that may be going forward.
Following Meyers’ departure to Jacksonville, Bech will likely rotate in three-receiver sets along with Tyler Lockett and fellow rookie wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr., while Tre Tucker serves as the lead wideout.
Bech, a second-round pick out of TCU, possesses a skill set most similar to Meyers’ among the Raiders’ young receivers. He can line up in the slot or on the perimeter and has done so at the collegiate level.
In Week 9, Lockett played nearly 30% of the offensive snaps, and Bech didn’t see the field with the offense. Don’t be surprised if the rookie sees a significant increase in playing time to fill Meyers’ void, while the veteran continues to see action in a limited role.
Nine weeks into the season, the Raiders have only recorded four interceptions, none by cornerbacks. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao leads the defense with two. Maxx Crosby and Devin White have one apiece.
Though Eric Stokes has played well on the boundary, allowing a 61 passer rating in coverage, he rarely forces turnovers. The fifth-year veteran has one interception in 52 career games.
All that said, the Raiders’ cornerback group will get on the board with a takeaway through the air Thursday night.
Denver leans more on its passing attack than the ground game, in part because the club has often trailed late in contests. The Broncos rank seventh in total pass attempts compared to 16th in carries. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has thrown an interception in consecutive games.
The Raiders could force Nix into errant throws if they get off to an early start.
Smith is tied with Tua Tagovailoa for a league-leading 11 interceptions. He’s turned the ball over through the air in six of eight outings, with multiple interceptions in three contests.
Smith will avoid turnovers on the prime-time stage against...
