The Oakland Raiders have a tough Week 3 matchup on the road against the Washington Redskins. Here are five Raiders to keep your eyes on in this game.
It feels great to be 2-0. For the Oakland Raiders to get to 3-0 for the first time since the 2002 AFC Championship season, they will have to beat a tough opponent on their turf in the Washington Redskins.
This will be Sunday Night Football in Week 3 and both fan bases have to be amped about this game. Kickoff from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland will be at 5:30 p.m. PT, 8:30 p.m. ET on September 24.
Oakland might be one of the five best teams in football already. There are now eight teams that have started the season out 2-0 after the Detroit Lions beat the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in East Rutherford. The Raiders can make a huge statement with a big win against a 1-1 Redskins team on Sunday night.
For that to happen, the Raiders will need to play their best game of the season. Here are five players that need to play well for the Silver and Black to get to 3-0 with a huge road victory on Sunday Night Football in Week 3 over Washington.
The best way the Raiders can dictate terms defensively is to get great push out of their defensive interior. Washington has struggled in the first two games along the offensive line, particularly on the offensive interior. The Redskins will eventually get it right, as former Raiders head coach Bill Callahan is one of the best offensive line coaches in football.
That being said, it might be early enough in the season for the Raiders to wreak havoc with the interior pass rush. While defensive tackle Justin Ellis could have a huge game, Oakland absolutely needs a breakout game from rookie Eddie Vanderdoes to win at FedEx.
Vanderdoes will come in as part of the nickel package for the Raiders defensively. If he can use his great pass rushing skills to get past Washington center Spencer Long repeatedly, it could be a long night for Washington franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins can move a little bit in and around the pocket, but does not thrive when he has to make a bunch of throws on the run. He is an accurate passer, but will throw the occasional pick or two. Vanderdoes doesn’t have to get a sack to be effective in this game. Compromising the integrity of the Washington pocket is a must for the young kid out of UCLA.