Oakland has to get it going in the receiving game this week. With Amari Cooper continuing to drop passes like he has a bad case of the yips or something, it will have to be Michael Crabtree Oakland will need to lean on. We saw what happens when you give Jared Cook too many looks on Sunday. That fumble touchdown is still hard to stomach.
Crabtree has shown at times this season that he can be the go-to receiver Oakland will need to get going. He had three touchdowns in the Week 2 win over the New York Jets. That game feels like eons ago, but something worked on that Sunday for the Silver and Black. Could it be rekindled on Sunday versus the Chargers?
Well, Crabtree will have a difficult matchup of his own on Sunday. He will be lined up opposite of Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward, who has played well for a bad Los Angeles team. Hayward was a Pro Bowler last year in his first season with the Chargers. The move to Los Angeles hasn’t effected his play yet. Look for him to make it back-to-back years.
If Oakland can’t get into rhythm in the passing game early against Los Angeles, it could be long day for the Raiders. Los Angeles will put up points with Philip Rivers at quarterback. With the way that the Raiders let Joe Flacco dice up the defense on Sunday, we better hope Crabtree is ready to win in a thrilling shootout versus the Chargers.