Preview and Prediction: Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans
By Austin Gayle
Carr to Target Jonathan Joseph
With two of the best wide receivers in the NFL at his disposal, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has benefitted from having at least one favorable matchup between the two all season long.
The Texans’ secondary will pose no hiccups in the game plan.
Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye, a former undrafted free agent out of the University of Central Florida, has exploded onto the NFL scene in his fourth season, as he currently tops all cornerbacks in the NFL as PFF’s No.1 ranked cornerback through 10 weeks.
With that being said, Carr will likely look to divert a majority of his targets towards the Texans’ No. 2 cornerback, Jonathan Joseph.
Joseph, an 11-year veteran, is struggling to remain productive late in his career, as the former Pro Bowler, now 32-years-old, has fallen victim to almost every receiver that has lined up across from him this season.
Whether he takes on the physical veteran Michael Crabtree or sophomore superstar Amari Cooper, Joseph’s vacation in Mexico is going to come to an abrupt halt on Monday night.
Crabtree has brought in 49 receptions for 596 yards and a team-high six touchdowns, especially dominating on third downs and in the red zone.
Opposite of Crabtree, Cooper leads the team with 58 receptions for 843 yards and two touchdowns.
The two have combined for 75 first down receptions, and 26 of said receptions have come on third down, according to The Washington Post.