Las Vegas Raiders at Seahawks 2022 Week 12: 3 things to watch
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on Seattle in Week 12, and here are some early-week storylines to keep an eye on throughout the week.
Week 12 brings a road battle for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they head Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks inside Lumen Field. Seattle has surprisingly been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, while the Silver and Black have been one of the biggest disappointments in the AFC.
However, Las Vegas is coming off a win this past weekend, as they went into Denver and beat the Broncos in overtime. We saw a completely different offensive attack late in the fourth quarter, and then in overtime, so hopefully some of that urgency will spill over against a tough Seattle defense.
Here, we look at a few early storylines to keep an eye on this week.
Las Vegas Raiders at Seahawks 2022 Week 12: 3 things to watch
Will Kolton Miller play?
Last weekend, Kolton Miller missed the game against the Broncos, something we rarely see from the veteran left tackle. While Las Vegas actually did well upfront without him, they are going to need Miller back for this matchup, especially with a Seahawks pass rush led by Uchenna Nwosu, who has seven sacks this season.
Miller being available will be paramount this weekend if the Raiders hope to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. He is one of the better offensive tackles in the NFL, so keep an eye on his status throughout the week.
Seattle is tough at home
The Seahawks have a distinct home-field advantage, and Sunday will be no different, as they are currently 3-1 inside Lumen Field this season. The 12s are a huge part of the Seahawks franchise, and with Seattle looking to keep their hands on the NFC West lead, you can expect a rowdy crowd on Sunday.
Rise of Geno Smith
In his first start as the quarterback of the Raiders, Derek Carr took on a Geno Smith-led New York Jets team, and while he played well, the Silver and Black lost. On Sunday, Carr will be looking to get his revenge and will do so against a player who has far exceeded expectations this season.
Smith has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season, which was not expected, as he battled with Drew Lock to even win the job this summer after the trade of Russell Wilson. If Smith gets it going on Sunday, there could be real issues for a Raiders defense that has underperformed all season long.