If the Las Vegas Raiders are to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, these three players will have to step up in a big way for the victory.
On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders will look for win No. 3 of their 2022 season when they go down to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the Silver and Black, the 2022 season has been a nightmare at times, but none greater than the terrible performance they had against New Orleans in Week 8.
In that game, the starting offense did not move the ball past midfield all game long, and the defense allowed Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara have their way with them. Sunday, they take on a young Jacksonville team that is starving for a victory after four straight close losses, and once again, Las Vegas will be playing in the early time slot.
If Las Vegas wants to get the win, and possibly get their season back on track, these three players will need to step up and dominate.
Las Vegas Raiders who will key the Week 9 victory in Jacksonville
The RT
The offensive line has been a mess all season long, and one serious issue has been the play of the right tackle. While both the right tackle and Kolton Miller on the left side got blown up last weekend against New Orleans, Miller has been steady all year long, while the right side continues to be an issue.
On Sunday, against a tough pass rush led by Josh Allen, whoever is at right tackle needs to have their best game of the season. The plan should be for the team to turn to 2022 seventh-round pick Thayer Munford Jr. over Jermaine Eluemunor, as he has at least shown potential to be a real piece going forward.
Josh Jacobs
After only ten carries this past weekend against New Orleans, you can expect a steady dose of Josh Jacobs this Sunday against Jacksonville. Going into that matchup with the Saints, Jacobs had been one of the more productive running backs in the NFL, so it was shocking to see Josh McDaniels go away from him, especially on crucial down.
This weekend, you can be sure Mick Lombardi and McDaniels will make sure Jacobs is a huge part of the game plan, wearing down this Jaguars’ defensive line early and often. If they can establish the run, you can expect a much better performance out of Derek Carr as well.
Chandler Jones
The Raiders’ pass rush has consisted of one man this season, and that man has been Maxx Crosby. OUtside of Madd Maxx, the pass rush has been non-existent, which is something that cannot continue to happen as long as Chandler Jones is still getting playing time.
The former All-Pro was brought in here to help Crosby, but instead, he has racked up 0.5 sacks and been a ghost at times.
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Las Vegas has enough talent to win this game going away, but it will be interesting to see how they bounce back after such a bad loss in Week 8. If they can get the win, there were some very winnable games ahead of them, but it is anybody’s guess which Raiders team will trot out there on Sunday morning.