Oakland Raiders: 5 players to watch vs. Buffalo Bills
By John Buhler
![OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 19: Alex Smith No. 11 of the Kansas City Chiefs is pressured by Khalil Mack No. 52 of the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 19: Alex Smith No. 11 of the Kansas City Chiefs is pressured by Khalil Mack No. 52 of the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjustblogbaby-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F10-2F863223416-kansas-city-chiefs-vs-oakland-raiders-jpg-850x560-1a72d15bf0c1d7f2ab609b11dc566e6e0f0f7fef836e4b1192d5982a45715e1d.jpg)
player. 28. . Linebacker. Penn State Nittany Lions. NaVorro Bowman. 3
It might be hard for inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman to outperform his excellent Raiders debut against the Bills this week, but look for him to try on Sunday afternoon. Bowman made an immediate impact for the Silver and Black, as he led the Raiders in tackles on Thursday Night Football last week.
Buffalo’s offensive strengths lie in the running game and physicality in the trenches. The Bills will try to punch the Raiders’ front-seven in the mouth to win a low-scoring game probably in the mud. Fortunately for the Raiders, Bowman is a gamer that will bring his lunch pail mentality to Western New York for this game.
No, he doesn’t need over 10 tackles per game to be an effective player for the Raiders going forward. Bowman just needs to lead by example on Sunday, letting his teammates know that Oakland will be the more aggressive team in this tough matchup.
Stopping LeSean McCoy is paramount for a Raiders’ victory in Week 8. Limiting Tyrod Taylor‘s dual-threat playmaking abilities would be a huge plus as well. This may not be a great matchup for the Raiders’ front-seven, but expect for Bowman to have his teammates ready to play on Sunday.