As losers of five of their last six games and on the heels of a blowout loss in Week 9, the Las Vegas Raiders probably aren't going to be favored in any games. And especially not when the defending Super Bowl champions come into Allegiant Stadium for a Sunday afternoon matchup in Week 10.
Klint Kubiak and several of his staff members are quite familiar with that franchise, as they helped them hoist a Lombardi Trophy less than a year ago. But the Raiders are in a completely different spot than the Seahawks are, even if their records are remarkably close at this point in the campaign.
The Raiders do have a trick up their sleeve, as Fernando Mendoza will make his first start. And while his playing well would certainly go a long way toward the Silver and Black pulling off an upset, several other matchups need to go Las Vegas' way, or be close, for them to have a chance at an unlikely win.
5 matchups that will decide Raiders-Seahawks clash in Week 10
Master (Mike Macdonald) vs. Apprentice (Klint Kubiak)
Although they only spent a season together, it was a long one that culminated in a championship. These two elite play-callers know a great deal about each other's schemes, and it will be interesting to see if either one has an edge that they can exploit against a coach they are well accustomed to.
Now, Macdonald has a way better collection of talent than Kubiak does, but familiarity can be the great equalizer. And considering the Raiders' defense doesn't have much of a chance, it will be on Kubiak's offense to carry Las Vegas against what most consider the best in the league.
Raiders' TEs vs. Seahawks DB antidotes
Las Vegas' tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer has been impossible for opposing defenses to stop. But the Seahawks' defensive back duo of Nick Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon may be the antidote to these two, or at least provide the best chance of slowing them down.
Kubiak's offense is reliant on these two having success, and Mendoza will need his safety valves. So, if Seattle is able to minimize the impact of Bowers and Mayer at all, then the Raiders could have a really rough time on offense. If they continue their dominance, they could keep the team in this one.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. hit-or-miss Las Vegas secondary
Even though Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in catches (71), receiving yards (1,036) and receiving touchdowns (9), those numbers don't even begin to tell the story of his impact. JSN is a special talent at wide receiver, and Las Vegas' secondary is way too hit-or-miss to know how this one will go.
Smith-Njigba is going to get his. But will he get a manageable 100 or so receiving yards, or will he explode up over the 150-yard mark and ruin the game? It'll be interesting to see if the Raiders will run as much man coverage this week as they have in the past, and who will cover him. Jermod McCoy?
Fernando Mendoza vs. exotic Seattle defense
Mendoza was going to have his hands full in his first NFL start no matter what. The defenses in this league are so complex and great at disguising looks or providing exotic ones. It was never going to be easy, but Mike Macdonald's defense is the toughest to figure out; this is a brutal first challenge.
But Mendoza could very well be up for it. After all, his intelligence is one of his superpowers, and if there were ever a week for him to take advantage, it would be a week in which the opposing coach has no film on him. How he performs will go a long way in determining how close this game will be.
Raiders' run defense vs. healthy Seahawks RB room
Rob Leonard's unit hasn't been able to slow down an opposing team on the ground since Week 1, and there are no signs of that changing. And the Seattle running back room is finally healthy, with both Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price back in the lineup.
Both backs will pose significant challenges for the Raiders' defense, and if they can't hold up even a little bit, then it will be tough for Mendoza to get into a rhythm on the other side of the ball. Until Las Vegas shows some improvement in this realm, I'll just assume that it'll lose this matchup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google