The Las Vegas Raiders are a bit outmatched as the Seattle Seahawks come to town in Week 10, but the Silver and Black are finally playing their ace in the hole. Fernando Mendoza will be under center when the offense trots out onto the field on Sunday, and that will be an adjustment for everyone.
Not only will Klint Kubiak need to devise a somewhat different game plan for the younger and more mobile quarterback with a bigger arm, but Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald will have to operate blindly with very little film on Mendoza, a disadvantage that cannot be overstated.
But those are hardly the only storylines heading into this weekend's matchup. To familiarize ourselves with the rest of them, and to learn a bit more about the Raiders' upcoming foe, we employed the help of Lee Vowell, resident Seahawks guru at our sister FanSided site, 12th Man Rising.
From the man who told us last offseason that Pete Carroll's loyalty was actually a weakness, we present to you our conversation about Sunday's game:
Raiders-Seahawks Interview with 12th Man Rising's Lee Vowell
Q: Let’s start with the big shake-up in Las Vegas: How are you feeling about Fernando Mendoza now being the starter, and how does it compare to the feeling you had about facing Kirk Cousins?
A: The difference with this game isn’t so much which quarterback Seattle would be facing, but Klint Kubiak leading the Vegas offense. Kubiak is a very good coach, but one that the Seahawks know well since he was the OC in 2025. That means Seattle should know his tendencies, but also be aware of how well Kubiak can adjust. Cousins would be the more challenging QB to face because of his experience, but having a wild card with the skill of Mendoza could make Seattle’s job tougher.
Our take: Cousins was certainly playing fine for the Raiders, but I would be shocked if Mendoza didn't have the ability to make some bigger plays. Of course, he is a rookie in his first start and will make some mistakes, too. The operation and simple stuff probably won't be as clean, either, but I'm hoping that those two things cancel out and we have a close game on our hands.
Q: For Seattle, Drew Lock will be at quarterback, and he’s seemingly performed solidly enough. What are the main limitations of this Seahawks offense when he is out there compared to Sam Darnold, and are there any elements that he adds that Darnold doesn’t?
A: Lock has had a good few games that he has played, but two of those games came against the Arizona Cardinals, so getting a true read on him isn’t easy. Darnold offers more explosiveness, but Lock has played within himself this season and hasn’t thrown any interceptions (Darnold has nine). The issue is he is dealing with elbow tendinitis; whether he can expose an iffy Raiders secondary is unknown.
Our take: To me, it all comes down to how uncomfortable Las Vegas can make Lock by pressuring his blindside with the Seahawks' starting left tackle and left guard out. This young Raiders secondary has taken its lumps, but it is certainly an opportunistic group, so Lock does need to take care of it. I think, with Las Vegas' lack of run defense and JSN, Lock will be just fine on Sunday. I will gladly be wrong.
Q: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is otherworldly. Has anything worked to stop him or even slow him down this year? Or is a hope and a prayer the Raiders’ best bet?
A: JSN is less productive with Lock behind center because he doesn’t take the same risks as Darnold, so Smith-Njigba could see lower numbers in Week 10. For instance, the receiver is used more on screens with Lock than he is with Darnold. Otherwise, Smith-Njigba is simply the best route-runner in the NFL with the leg strength of a running back; he will get his catches and yards.
Our take: The smaller the impact Smith-Njigba can have on this game, the better. The Raiders have played some good receivers this year, but not a game-breaker who is as versatile as JSN, so if Lock can't get it to him as reliably, then that bodes well. Las Vegas has a mountain of other issues to tackle, but Smith-Njigba potentially playing at a level 8 instead of a 10 or 11 would be welcomed.
Q: It seemed like the Seahawks had success putting Nick Emmanwori on Trey McBride last week. Do you think he’ll be the primary on Brock Bowers, or what is the plan to slow him down?
A: This is a difficult question to answer because Emmanwori is used in a lot of different ways by Mike Macdonald, and what Emmanwori does one week might have nothing to do with what he does next. Overall, Seattle does struggle against tight ends, and did so last season, too, so Bowers could have a huge game in Week 10 no matter who is trying to cover him.
Our take: That is fortuitous for a team with the best tight end duo in the league! Bowers does function primarily as a slot and wide receiver, though, so I do wonder if that changes the equation a bit and he sees Devon Witherspoon while Emmanwori is tasked with Mayer. This will be a pivotal part of the chess match between these two great coaching minds.
Q: What do you attribute Seattle’s recent offensive struggles to?
A: The offense has been far from perfect for various reasons. One is that Sam Darnold was injured on the first drive of the first game, so new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury had to start over quite a bit. He and Darnold are still trying to figure each other out. That said, the OC and the quarterback have been hampered by injuries at running back. The good thing is that Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price are both back, and Seattle was running the ball well at the end of Week 9. That effectiveness will be needed in every game moving forward for offensive success.
Our take: It sounds like a combination of undesirable things that will surely iron themselves out in Week 10 against the Raiders, because that always seems to happen to this team. The Las Vegas defense provides a get-right opportunity for everyone, and the Seahawks will surely take it.
Q: The Seahawks’ running back room has been in a bit of flux this season, it seems. What is the current state of things?
A: Seattle had to rely on Emanuel Wilson early in the season, and he was inconsistently decent. He might not see the field again, though, as Charbonnet and Price are back. In Week 9, Charbs and Price combined for 101 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards. Basically, the Seahawks finally have their top two running backs at the same time, and the difference has been immediately positive.
Our take: Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. For all of the Raiders' defensive issues this season, stopping the run has certainly been the biggest. Charbonnet's ability to run through people and churn out extra gains in short-yardage situations, paired with Price's fresh legs and ability to dance, makes for a tough matchup for Rob Leonard's unit. Let's just hope it doesn't get too out of hand.
Q: Which coach do you think has a schematic advantage in this matchup, considering their history together: Klint Kubiak or Mike Macdonald?
A: Macdonald has the better players on defense than Kubiak has on offense, so that should give Seattle an advantage. This is especially true in Week 10, as Kubiak might not use all the elements of his scheme in Mendoza’s first start. Of course, Seattle has struggled with some key injuries, such as Leonard Williams, and Kubiak is smart enough to take advantage of that. Should be a fun matchup to watch since the coaches know each other so well.
Our take: Honestly, I think having Mendoza in the lineup opens up the playbook and scheme. How well he can execute right away remains to be seen, but it is true that the Seahawks have better pieces than the Raiders do right now. Injuries could play a factor, yes, but even the Seattle 2s look tough.
Q: If you could, name one underrated player (or someone fans aren’t talking about enough) on your roster that you think could cause problems for the Raiders on Sunday.
A: Oddly, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. He was horrible as a rookie in 2024, rarely saw the field in 2025, but has seen a growing role this season because he’s been good in coverage and shockingly good in run defense. The “shocking” part is important because before this season, he seemed afraid or unable to hit a ball carrier hard. Now, he seems to relish doing so.
Our take: Interesting, I will have to take more of a look at him. Obviously, the Seahawks' secondary is highlighted by Witherspoon, Emmanwori, Josh Jobe and Ty Okada, but the fact that there is another great player back there that is being slept on is daunting. Kubiak and Co. surely know about him, and I'm glad fans do now, too.
Q: Lastly, what is your final score prediction?
A: I think this is going to be a low-scoring game. Even though Drew Lock hasn’t turned the ball over, the offense hasn’t exactly been explosive. If Seattle can get to 21 points, that should be enough. The Seahawks should win something like 21-17, which only means the Raiders will win 42-3.
Our take: This might be a low-scoring game... for the Raiders. Las Vegas' defense has given up 30 or more points in six straight games, and even though they are a bit of a skeleton crew, the Seahawks' offense should have plenty of success. My hope is that Kubiak's team can keep it close and lose something like 30-21 or 30-24, but I just don't want a blowout. Unless it's the one that you outlined.
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