Raiders vs. Vikings: Key Individual Matchups
Stefon Diggs vs. D.J. Hayden
Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
What Antonio Brown did to the Raiders secondary last week was NSFW. It wasn’t just Hayden who got embarrassed, but Amerson and the rest of that unit got torched all game long.
It’s been like that for much of the season, so it’s always scary when the opposing team has a big time playmaker at the WR position.
Stefon Diggs is just that. He’s been the best rookie WR aside from Amari Cooper this year, and has drawn several Antonio Brown comparisons from NFL heads.
Can you Digg it? Former Terps wide receiver catches his first NFL touchdown pass https://t.co/uhb4n6rIbE https://t.co/fhHvFo6ckW
— The Diamondback (@thedbk) October 26, 2015
That’s of course a rich comparison, but there certainly are some similarities. So keeping Diggs contained is going to have to be a big part of the defensive gameplan on Sunday.
Hayden will likely get most of the work covering Diggs, as athletically he’s Oakland’s top option. Amerson is quite the athlete himself, but he hasn’t been too bad since joining Oakland, so more of the focus will be on how Hayden performs.