5 Las Vegas Raiders takes ahead of 2022 NFL Week 8
3. What’s going on with the linebackers?
Switching gears to the defense, the linebacker corps has largely been a disappointment. Before continuing, I need to point out that the leader of this group, Denzel Perryman, has had his season severely impacted by a grade 1 concussion and an ankle sprain back in September.
At the same time, Divine Deablo has recovered from a rough start to his sophomore season, especially in the last three games. A key component of the Raiders’ run defense (sporting a 73.4 run defense grade), Deablo has tallied 14 assists and recorded 17 stops per Pro Football Focus. It’s been a mixed bag for this group so far. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with this group in Week 8.
4. Andre James is quickly becoming an offensive anchor
Who would’ve known that Andre James would become the O-line’s anchor? It wasn’t that long ago that many fans weren’t sold on the UCLA product. Since coming back from his concussion, James has been an absolute dawg. With a 75.0 pass-blocking grade to his credit, the 25-year-old center is demolishing blockers, helping to clear the way for Jacobs.
Combined with Dylan Parham and Thayer Munford, the trio is beginning to surpass expectations and is gelling together. Needless to say, the Raiders won’t be looking to draft another center for a while.