Las Vegas Raiders fans are understandably confident heading into a very winnable Week 3 road contest against the New Orleans Saints. But pulling out a win in the Big Easy will be anything but, well, easy, and holding firm in the battle against the Saints' pass rush is truly the crux of the matchup.
Tyler Shough looks like a franchise quarterback for New Orleans, and the offense has good weapons like Travis Etienne, Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson, Devaughn Vele and what's left of Alvin Kamara. And their secondary has some nice pieces, but their front seven will pose the most issues for the Raiders.
While Las Vegas' offensive line is in a very different place than it was a year ago, Rick Dennison's group definitely took a step back from Week 1 to Week 2, specifically when it came to pass protection. The Silver and Black's big boys up front badly need to bring their "A" game on Sunday.
Raiders' offensive line struggled in pass protection in Week 2
Week 2's showing was far from a disaster for the Raiders' offensive line, but it was clear that the talent gap between the front sevens of the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins accounted for at least some of Las Vegas' dominance on opening weekend. And New Orleans is an even stiffer foe.
Last time out, the offensive line gave up two sacks on Kirk Cousins, and they also let him get hit 10 times while allowing pressure on him on eight other occasions. Simply put, the veteran quarterback was under duress all day against the Chargers, even though he handled it well and frankly, balled out.
It wasn't like one player was a weak link, though; every player on the Raiders' offensive line gave up either a sack, two or more pressures, or both. While that is a good thing in some ways, as the Saints have nobody to pick on, it also means that Las Vegas can't allocate help to one place.
Everyone has to do their jobs better, and the task at hand with New Orleans is not easier. Just as the Raiders allowed pressure from everywhere, Brandon Staley's group is getting pressure from everywhere, and they've played two solid offensive lines in the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
Saints' defensive front has several players who can pose issues for Las Vegas
Chase Young is the head of the snake for the Saints, as he is finally living up to his billing as the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He leads the team with nine pressures and 1.5 sacks through two games, and Young had a ridiculous seven pressures against Baltimore in Week 2.
Interestingly enough, Young lines up on the right side of the New Orleans defense, which means that he will be going up against left tackle Kolton Miller. This will be a big test for both of these players and arguably the marquee matchup on Sunday.
On the other side, Carl Granderson is proving that he's still got it. The veteran edge rusher already has a sack and five pressures on the year, and his speed and great get-off could pose issues for DJ Glaze at right tackle, who historically struggles with defenders who have that skill set.
Interior players Vernon Broughton and Nathan Shepherd have combined for 11 pressures and three quarterback hits, with the latter also notching a half-sack. Jackson Powers-Johnson was bad in Week 2, and Spencer Burford has had trouble all year, so these two could be an issue on the inside.
Kaden Elliss is also a versatile player with a unique skill set as an off-ball linebacker, as he can play in the box or on the edge, and he's been in the pocket quite a bit, recording six pressures and four quarterback hits in just two games. The Raiders' front will need to know where he is at all times.
Pete Werner can also get into the backfield from the box, and we haven't even talked about Cameron Jordan yet, who returned from injury in Week 2 and notched two pressures as well. Simply put, New Orleans has a large contingent of players who can reliably win pass-rush reps and make life difficult.
In just two games, they already have six players with five or more pressures, and that impact is coming off the edge, from the interior or from the linebacker spot. They've got five players with a pass-rush win rate of 11.5% or higher. So, they will be a handful.
The Raiders' 63-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers back in 2023 got Staley fired, so he'll want his revenge against Las Vegas in Week 3. Expect heavy pressure from his group. If Dennison's unit can handle that up front, it'll go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.
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