The Las Vegas Raiders will look to snap their three-game losing streak in primetime in Week 5, as they welcome the Green Bay Packers to Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas has struggled since getting out of the gate with a Week 1 victory in Denver, losing to AFC foes in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Now, the season hinges on them being able to take care of business against some teams they could certainly beat. The schedule is loaded with winnable games coming up for the Silver and Black, and this matchup against the Green Bay Packers is definitely one of them.
The Raiders need to establish their identity on offense, that is for sure, as the run game has been stagnant, and they have already started two different quarterbacks. On defense, the goal is simple in Week 5, and that is to disrupt a very talented young quarterback in Jordan Love.
Raiders must key on young QB Jordan Love
Love has gotten the Packers out to a 2-2 start to the season, this after taking over for a legend in Aaron Rodgers this past offseason. The young signal-caller has shown flashes of brilliance during his first four starts, but like any young quarterback, he has also had his fair share of ups and downs through the first four games.
A former first-round pick, Love has gotten to learn from Rodgers across his first few seasons in the league, something most young quarterbacks are not able to do. He has completed over 56 percent of his passes this season, tossing eight touchdowns against three interceptions, and has also found the end zone twice on the ground.
Maxx Crosby is one of the premier edge rushers in the game, and he could feast on a Packers offensive line that has been up and down this season. The Raiders must come up with a gameplan that frees up Crosby to do some work in the backfield, getting Love off his mark and making him jittery in the pocket.
If Love is able to do things with his arm, and his legs on Monday night, it could be a long one for the Silver and Black. However, if they can get after him early and often, he is inexperienced enough to make crucial mistakes that could swing the game in the Raiders favor.
Hopefully, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is up for the challenge.