Oakland Raiders Week 9 X-Factors against the Detroit Lions
By Matt Holder
Trayvon Mullen
In his first start, the rookie performed exceptionally well last week. Mullen was targeted four times, allowed two receptions for 10 yards, and was a pair of good hands away from a pick-six. However, the NFL is a week-by-week league and he faces another steep challenge on Sunday.
There are two teams in the NFL that have two receivers who rank in the top ten for receiving touchdowns: the Buccaneers and the Lions. Golladay and Jones have combined for 65 catches, 917 yards, and 11 touchdowns on the year. Stopping or slowing down one of them is difficult enough, let alone both.
Regardless of who Mullen draws in coverage, he is going to have a tough matchup and the team cannot afford any rookie mistakes. Of course, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will likely give the young cornerback some help in coverage. However, with such a dynamic duo on the other side of the ball, Mullen will be left on an island at some point, and he needs to live up to the standard he set a week ago.