Las Vegas Raiders get bad COVID news heading into Week 17
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have been relatively unscathed by COVID so far this season, but that could change in a big way against the Indianapolis Colts.
Last weekend, the Las Vegas Raiders were without a few of its players against the Denver Broncos due to COVID-19. Offensive players Marcus Mariota and Bryan Edwards were forced to miss the game, as were defensive players in Roderic Teamer and Brandon Facyson, but that was minimal compared to what other teams had to deal with in Week 16.
While the Raiders have remained relatively unscathed by COVID this season, they got some bad news in that regard on Monday, as multiple defensive starters were placed on the COVID list. Huge names like Denzel Perryman, Darius Philon, and Casey Hayward will now have to test out of the list by the time the deadline hits on Sunday.
Being without this group, especially Perryman, against a running game like they will face in the Indianapolis Colts could prove to be too much to overcome. Johnathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the game, and a potential MVP candidate, so stopping him has got to be priority No. 1 for the Silver and Black in Week 17.
Raiders can still get these players back by Sunday
Due to the new COVID rules in the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders could still get these players back in time for kickoff against the Colts on Sunday. They will have to test out of the league’s reserve list to do so, and getting at least some of these players back will be key if they hope to continue their run towards the playoffs.
Indianapolis is a team that stands in the way of the Raiders and their playoff chances, and a loss to them would significantly diminish any chance they have of making their first playoff appearance since the 2016 NFL season. This has been a nice two-game stretch over the last seven days, but a loss against the Colts will make this recent run futile moving forward.