Reasonable expectations for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 Week 10
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10 of the 2022 NFL season, and here are some realistic expectations for them.
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they are losing games on the field, and losing players off of it. This past week, both Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow were placed on IR, leaving their offense short-handed, and linebacker Blake Martinez retired.
Sitting at 2-6, the Silver and Black are in contention to hold the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, which is a bit of a shock considering how well they played down the stretch last season. Under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia, the Raiders were a team nobody wanted to see, and this year under Josh McDaniels, they seem to be each team’s ‘get-right’ game.
Here, we look at some reasonable expectations for them against the Colts on Sunday.
Reasonable expectations for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 Week 10
Raiders defense rattles Sam Ehlinger
The Raiders’ defense has been downright bad this season and has recently been shredded by an Andy Dalton-led Saints team, and a Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars squad. In Week 10, they will be taking on a significantly worse quarterback in Sam Ehlinger, and they should be able to rattle the second-year signal-caller.
Ehlinger got the starting job over Matt Ryan but has been nothing to write home about. The Colts have some star power along the offensive line, but this is a game where Maxx Crosby’s presence should be felt, and I like multiple sacks from him on Sunday.
Josh Jacobs runs wild
The key to the Raiders’ success on offense this season has been the play of Josh Jacobs, a stellar running back who has gotten lost in the shuffle in recent weeks. Josh McDaniels has gone away from the run game far too often, but this is a matchup where Jacobs should have his way on the ground.
Getting Jacobs the ball early and often has to be priority No. 1 for McDaniels and this offense, especially with Renfrow and Waller out. If they can establish the run, it swings the time of possession battle in the Raiders’ favor, and takes the life out of the Colts’ offense and defense.
Las Vegas wins a game they are supposed to
In the last three games, the Silver and Black have been the favorite but were only able to beat the Houston Texans in that span. On Sunday, they should be able to cruise to victory over a team with an ESPN analyst as their interim head coach, so it is not unreasonable to expect a Raiders win in Week 10.
This season has been a nightmare on so many levels, but the Colts are a beatable team, and they are getting them at home. Winning this one moves them to 3-6 on the season, and still on life-support, but a loss would be one of the worst in recent memory.