Last Week: Saints 24, Raiders 0
The Raiders had their first truly horrendous performance under new coach Josh McDaniels, getting shut out for the first time since November 30, 2014—quarterback Derek Carr’s rookie season. Carr had a career-low (in a game in which he was not taken out for injury) 101 passing yards with an interception. Las Vegas didn’t cross the 50-yard line at Caesars Superdome until backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham came in for the final drive. Defensively, the Raiders weren’t much better, as they didn’t get a single hit on opposing quarterback Andy Dalton and allowed running back Alvin Kamara to score three touchdowns. Kamara vowed New Orleans would “whoop” Las Vegas for current New Orleans coach Dennis Allen—who headed the Raiders from 2012-2014—and delivered on the promise.
This Week: Raiders (2-5) at Jaguars (2-6)
When: Sunday, November 6, 10 a.m.,
Where: TIAA Bank Field
TV & Radio: CBS (Channel 8) & 920 AM/92.3 FM
Betting line: Raiders -1, over/under 46.5
Matchup:The Jaguars have lost five straight but aren’t quite the pushover they’ve been the past two years when they’ve had the league’s worst record in back-to-back seasons. This year, all of their losses have come by a touchdown or less, while the two wins were blowouts—a 24-0 victory over the Colts and a 38-10 triumph at the LA Chargers. Second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, remains turnover prone but has shown progress statistically across the board. Jacksonville has been run-heavier recently with the emergence of second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr., who has set career highs in rushing yards in back-to-back games (114 in a 23-17 loss to the New York Giants and then 156 in a 21-17 defeat to the Denver Broncos).
Raider to Watch: Left tackle Kolton Miller
These two teams played in the season-opening Hall of Fame Game in the preseason, with the Raiders winning 27-11 in Canton, Ohio, despite having trouble blocking 2022 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker. Most starters didn’t play in that game for either side, but slowing Walker will be an emphasis this time around, and it will often come down to Miller protecting Carr’s blind side. The team captain is coming off one of the worst games of his career, as he was routinely beaten against the Saints, giving Carr little time to read through his progressions amid collapsing pockets and swarming pass rushers. –Case Keefer
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