Raiders Could Fare Better Against Backup QB vs. Seattle
· Yahoo Sports
The Las Vegas Raiders just got trounced by the San Francisco 49ers, but they may be helped in their next game against top competition given that the Seattle Seahawks will be missing quarterback Sam Darnold due to a quad injury and starting backup Drew Lock.
Facing top quarterbacks has definitely become a Raiders bugaboo. They’ve been outgunned by the likes of Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, and on Sunday they ran into the buzzsaw that is Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.
Visit fishroad-app.com for more information.
Purdy torched the Raiders to the tune of 232 yards and two touchdowns as he went 17-for-25, and Purdy ran for another 40 yards on seven carries with a TD on the ground. It wasn’t heavy lifting, either, as the Raiders defense offered minimal resistance.
Lock could be another matter entirely, however. He typically struggles to produce over 200 yards passing, so the Raiders may be able to contain him and give themselves a fighting chance against Seattle, especially at home.
The trick will be getting their offense back in the habit of protecting the ball. It’s been a strength for most of the season, but against the Niners the Raiders offense fell apart in the second half after matching touchdowns with San Francisco early in the third quarter to pull to within 28-17.
What could have been a comeback quickly turned into a fiasco, however. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions in the second half, including a pick six, and tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers both lost fumbles. It was as bad as the Raiders have looked in any of these games against top teams, and they’re once again at a pivot point in their season.
The Raiders are 4-5, and while they’re technically still “in the hunt,” this could be last call for that particular status. Coach Klint Kubiak has backed Cousins to date, but the turnovers are another matter entirely that could lead to the inevitable transition to rookie Fernando Mendoza.
While Lock’s return from an oblique injury is slightly promising, there’s a more ominous threat coming in running back Zach Charbonnet. He’s back after having ACL surgery, and against the Arizona Cardinals he rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries.
The bigget threat of all might be the Seattle defense. They limited the Cardinals to just a field goal, and while they’re not quite as tough on the road, Cousins will almost certainly be facing heavy pressure that could prove to be his undoing.