Matchups to Watch: Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars
By Seth Murphy
Seth Roberts vs. Davon House
Seth Roberts is a phenomenal complement to the dynamic duo of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Roberts has already hauled in 3 TD receptions this season, a great number for a third WR. Derek Carr loves to spread the ball around and Roberts has a knack for getting open. Roberts’ numbers would be even better if he didn’t drop so many passes.
Davon House recently stated that he has been demoted to the team’s “Nickel” CB. This means that when Jacksonville takes a DL or LB off the field to bring on another CB it will be House. The nickel CB often covers the slot WR, which is where Roberts gets a lot of his snaps. House will be replaced on the outside by Dwayne Gratz.
The transition from outside CB to slot CB is much more different than most would expect. The spacing, responsibilities and angles are all very different.
Should Roberts line up often in the slot against House it could make for a tough matchup for the Jags secondary. In my study of the Jaguars defense, there are often instances of leaving the middle of the field open against spread looks. If this happens and Roberts is matched one on one, he could eat on Sunday.