Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans: Players to Watch
By Austin Gayle
Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson (24) celebrates with teammates David Amerson (29) and Larry Asante (42) after intercepting a pass in the final minute against the Cleveland Browns in a NFL game at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Browns 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With the Oakland Raiders playing the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, JBB staff writer Austin Gayle breaks down which Raiders players to watch this weekend.
After losing now three consecutive games, Oakland Raiders (4-6) are looking to get back on track against the Tennessee Titans (2-8). Although they have made significant strides towards returning to relevance in the NFL, Oakland’s early success would appear as a fluke if they can’t show significant improvement against a struggling Titans team.
Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota has been under center for one of the worst offenses in the league, as Tennessee is No. 30 in total yards per game and points per game.
The Titans’ defense, on the other hand, is No. 3 in yards allowed per game, but their defense is still allowing over 23 points per game. In comparison to how many yards Oakland allows per game Tennessee has a significant edge, but the Raiders are only allowing roughly 2.5 more points per game.
Regardless of how the two teams match up statistically, both Oakland and Tennessee have almost no chance of making the playoffs. Expect both coaches to make a reasonable effort to win this game, but both teams should also place an emphasis on getting their young guys more opportunities and evaluating their roster before the offseason.
Rather than focusing on the players that will dictate the result of the game, we are using this Week 12 contest as an opportunity to evaluate Raiders players in a position to either boost their snap count or further push themselves down the depth chart. Here are three players looking to solidify themselves in Oakland’s future plans this week against Tennessee.
Next: Players to Watch: Benson Mayowa