Oakland Raiders Week 8 X-Factors against the Houston Texans
By Matt Holder
Kolton Miller
It feels like every week presents a new and difficult challenge for Kolton Miller. So far, he has been up for the task and week four is the only game he has surrendered a sack. However, Sunday presents a tough assignment for the young tackle, again.
While Watt garners most of the attention on the Texans defense, Whitney Mercilus has established himself as a tremendous pass rusher in his own right. Mercilus ranks 11th in the league with five and a half sacks, and has managed at least one quarterback pressure in every game this season.
Outside of a poor showing against the Vikings, Miller hasn’t allowed more than one pressure in a game, so this matchup on the edge should be a good one.
The Raiders left tackle has dramatically improved from his rookie campaign, however, he gets a lot of help from the protection scheme in the form of chip blocks, double teams and quick passes. With Watt on the opposite side, Whitney Mercilus and Miller should get plenty of one-on-one opportunities. Thus, the UCLA product has a perfect opportunity to show he laid to rest the demons that plagued him a year ago.