The Las Vegas Raiders got great play from Johnathan Abram on Monday against Cleveland, a game that ended his 2021 season.
Since being selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Johnathan Abram has had an up-and-down career with the Raiders franchise. Known for his hard-hitting ability from his safety position, Abram flashed early on in 2019, playing well against Denver before being lost for the season in Week 1.
In 2020, Abram struggled in his first extended role, and many have already slapped the bust label on him during his second full season in the NFL. On Monday night, in a must-win game for the Silver and Black on the road, Abram played the best game we have seen from him in quite some time, helping the team to a season-saving 16-14 victory.
Unfortunately, the same thing that happened in Week 1 back in 2019 happened to Abram on Monday, as he was injured, and is now lost for the season. Abram had an MRI on his shoulder after the victory, and on Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted that Abram was to have season-ending surgery on Thursday.
Raiders are severely depleted in the secondary
With Abram out, the safety position is extremely thin, as the team will now have to figure out who is going to start alongside Trevon Moehrig in the starting lineup. Dallin Leavitt is on the roster but is more of a special teams guy, so it may be Roderic Teamer who gets the start against Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Also, the cornerback spot is a bit depleted as well, as Nate Hobbs is currently on the COVID list, hoping to return in time for the Broncos matchup. Overall, this was the worst time to lose Abram, as he finally put together a solid effort, and would be needed throughout a crucial three-game stretch to end the regular season.
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Despite everything that has gone on with this franchise this season, the Raiders are still very much alive in the AFC Playoff race and would lock up a spot in the postseason if they can win out. Abram may not have played up to his first-round billing so far in his NFL career, but that does not diminish that losing him at this point is a huge blow for this defense.