Raiders vs Vikings 2023 Week 14: Studs and Duds

Raiders Stud – Robert Spillane

I will admit to being very skeptical of Robert Spillane when he joined the Raiders on a two-year, $7,000,000 deal during the offseason. While he looked like a solid run stuffing linebacker in Pittsburgh, I did not think he had the skill set to be in every down linebacker who can rush the passer and hold up in pass coverage as well.

It's safe to say that Spillane has surpassed any of our expectations as he has become an emotional leader on this defense and clearly the second-best player after Crosby. Spillane continued to rack up the stats as he had 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack against the Vikings on Sunday. He was the driving force behind the shutdown of the Minnesota running game and was making plays all over the field.

We know that he just signed his contract this offseason but if the Raiders are smart, they will try to extend him as he looks like a possible long-term fixture in this defense. The Raiders have been looking for a dominant middle linebacker for a long time and they may have just found one in Robert Spillane.