Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders: 3 things to watch in Week 11

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 03: Hunter Renfrow #13 and Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after Renfrow caught a touchdown pass from Carr against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at RingCentral Coliseum on November 03, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Raiders won the game 31-24. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

2. Avoiding the injury bug

The Raiders have had their fair share of injuries this season, just like any team after ten tough weeks of play. Luckily, they have avoided catastrophic injuries to this point. Losing first round rookie draft pick Jonathan Abram in Week 1 hurt, especially considering what a 16 game stretch would do for the young player. In addition, the Raiders have been without Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, Trent Brown, Marquel Lee, Tyrell Williams, and several other key players for stretches this season.

Following their big win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week they found out they would be without Karl Joseph for the remainder of the season and Lamarcus Joyner also picked up a hamstring injury that could sideline him for a few weeks.

It is a big task, but the Raiders need to get and remain healthy for the stretch run of the season. The offensive line seems to be getting back to full health, meanwhile Lee is set to return from the IR in the coming weeks which will be a big boost for the linebackers group. Getting Joyner back at some point will also be crucial, hopefully his hamstring injury isn’t too serious.

Point is, the Raiders need to get out of this game without suffering any more injuries to crucial players. Should Carr, Jacobs, or any of the offensive line suffer a season ending injury, this season could be a wash. Look for the Raiders to come away unscathed with their key players remaining healthy heading into the final six games of the season.

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