Last Week: Raiders 22, Broncos 16
Davante Adams shook Denver’s defense on a crossing post route and stood all alone as he caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr in overtime to secure Las Vegas’ first road victory of the year. The win marked a sixth straight in the series over the Broncos, the Raiders’ longest run of success against their rivals in more than 50 years. It also snapped a three-game losing streak and pulled Las Vegas out of last place in the AFC West. Adams scored the Raiders’ only other touchdown on a similar route—though he was double-covered on that 35-yard pass in the second quarter—and finished with seven catches for 141 yards. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby was even more dominant on the other side of the ball, contributing two sacks, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a blocked field goal.
This Week: Raiders (3-7) at Seahawks (6-4)
When: Sunday, November 27, 1 p.m.
Where: Lumen Field
TV & Radio: CBS (Channel 8) & 920 AM/92.3 FM
Betting line: Seahawks -4, over/under 47.5
Matchup: The Raiders were a 3-point favorite in this game coming into the season, and the touchdown flip to the odds has more to do with the home team’s success than the road team’s disappointment. Both have played a role, of course, but Seattle has been arguably the most surprising team in the league. The Seahawks stood in first place in the NFC West at press time behind longtime backup Geno Smith’s emergence as one of the better quarterbacks in the league and a defense that has shown steady improvement. Smith has 2,474 passing yards with 17 touchdowns to four interceptions and could threaten a secondary that remains the Raiders’ weakest link.
Raider to Watch: Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery
Eight teams put in waiver claims on the former first-round pick out of Notre Dame after the LA Chargers surprisingly dropped him ahead of a Week 10 game. The Raiders won out by virtue of having the worst record, and immediately thrust Tillery into action. Though Tillery knew only a small portion of the playbook, the Raiders rotated him in throughout the game versus the Broncos. Coach Josh McDaniels praised Tillery’s performance afterwards, and said he could be in line for a bigger role going forward. Las Vegas has generated no pressure with its interior defensive linemen all season, a weakness Tillery could help to address.
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