Raiders at Saints 2022 Week 8: 3 things to watch
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, and here are some storylines to keep an eye on throughout the contest.
On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders will battle it out against the New Orleans Saints on the road, as they head to Louisiana looking for their second straight victory. Their opponent, the Saints, are led by first-year head coach Dennis Allen, a familiar face to Raider Nation, as he was the team’s head coach from 2012-2014.
He struggled as the head coach of the Silver and Black, and his troubles have found him again in New Orleans, as the team goes into this matchup with a 2-5 record. They have some rest after playing last Thursday, but they also will be battling it out against a Raiders team that should be beaming with confidence after their drubbing of the Houston Texans last weekend.
Here, we look at some storylines to keep an eye on in this matchup.
Raiders at Saints 2022 Week 8: 3 things to watch
Can Josh Jacobs keep it rolling?
The big story for the Silver and Black this season on offense has been the play of Josh Jacobs, who is enjoying his best season as a pro. Jacobs has shown the ability to run around, or through the defenders this season, and he is fresh off a 160-plus yard day against the Texans this past weekend.
in that game, Jacobs found the end zone three times on the ground, something the Raiders are hoping for in this one as well. If he gets it going with the run game, this contest could get out of hand early.
Getting pressure on Andy Dalton
This week, the Saints announced that Andy Dalton would start over a healthy Jameis Winston, which was a bit of a shocking development for New Orleans. Dalton was intercepted three times this past week against the Arizona Cardinals, and if the Raiders hope for a repeat performance from the Red Rifle, getting in his face will be key.
Luckily for Las Vegas, Dalton has cement feet, and if Maxx Crosby or Chandler Jones can get some pressure, they should be able to knock him off his mark. I expect a few sacks of Dalton in this one, and in the end, the pressure should lead to a turnover or two.
Raiders on the road
The Silver and Black have struggled on the road this season, losing all three of their road games to date. The losses against Los Angeles in Week 1, and then Tennessee in Week 3 were tough pills to swallow, as was blowing a 17-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs inside Arrowhead right before the bye week.
Against New Orleans, the Raiders are clearly the better team, and they need to go into the Superdome and establish their run game from the start. If they can control the line of scrimmage, they have enough talent on both sides of the ball to make this a rare road laugher.