The Las Vegas Raiders take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season, and here is our official game preview and prediction.
The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season, their first of two straight road games on the east coast. After the Saints game, the Raiders will likely stay on the other side of the country, as a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 awaits them after this contest.
For now, however, the focus is on the Saints, another two-win team this season that is struggling on the field, and with the team’s health. In this game alone, the Saints will be without star wideouts Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, while cornerbacks Paulson Adebo and Marshon Lattimore are questionable.
Las Vegas has a real opportunity to kick the Saints when they are down on Sunday, but must prove they are the team we saw against Houston to do so.
Raiders at Saints preview and prediction
This will be a matchup between a former Raiders head coach, and a current head coach in his first season with the Saints, as an old friend, Dennis Allen will be across the sidelines from the Silver and Black. Allen has struggled in his first season taking over for Sean Payton, but he has also been decimated with injuries, and appears slated to finish near the bottom of the NFC South.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, has also gotten off to a slow start, but based on talent and expectations, many feel they could still be a playoff team in 2022. To become that, they have to beat lesser teams, and with so many injuries, and inconsistent play this season, you have to feel the Raiders should be more than just a 1.5-point road favorite against New Orleans.
The Raiders offense has been clicking behind running back Josh Jacobs, who has already rushed for over 600 yards in only six games this season. Even without a healthy Darren Waller at tight end, the Raiders passing game has also been on-point, as the combination of Mack Hollins and Davante Adams has been terrific in the early going.
Once again, the issues on the defense have been plentiful, and the team is struggling to get solid interior defensive line play. In the secondary, Trevon Moehrig has taken a step back, and once again, the team will be without Nate Hobbs for this game, as he is still on injured reserve.
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Even without Hobbs, the Raiders secondary should be fine against a Saints team lacking so many weapons. Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara will need to be accounted for on every play they are in, but in the end, the Saints won’t have enough firepower to hang with the Raiders for four quarters.
Final Score: Raiders 34, Saints 28