If the Las Vegas Raiders want to right the ship in Week 7 and put an end to their three-game skid, it starts with addressing their own issues. Self-scouting is so important in the NFL. But the Los Angeles Rams are also coming into town this Sunday, and they are never an easy group to topple.
Led by Sean McVay, one of the most brilliant minds in the sport, and with a star-studded roster that is apprepo for the city that they call home, the Rams pose significant challenges for a young Raiders team and coaching staff. As luck would have it for Las Vegas, though, LA is majorly banged up.
They're not just dealing with depth injuries, either; several of their game-changers and biggest contributors will be on the sideline when the two teams take the field at Allegiant Stadium. That may sound like a free meal ticket and a huge advantage for the Silver and Black, and it is, in some ways.
But the Raiders just learned in Week 5 that facing a short-staffed roster does not automatically lead to a win. In fact, it was a big, embarrassing lesson that they can't forget and surely haven't still less than two weeks removed from it.
Key Rams injuries have piled up recently, and this week is the worst yet
All-world defensive end Myles Garrett has been on the shelf for weeks and will not return to face Las Vegas in Week 7. But that is just the tip of the iceberg for the surprisingly 2-4 Rams. They'll also be without Davante Adams, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and potentially Trent McDuffie and Nate Landman.
Adams went down with a ruptured hamstring in last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and both Turner and Ford got hurt as well. Los Angeles isn't particularly deep at wide receiver, so it'll basically be Puka Nacua and some players that the Raiders wouldn't otherwise circle on the scouting report.
Given Las Vegas' issues on the interior offensive line in recent weeks, the Rams not having Turner is massive. He's been a dual-threat this year, stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, so with Turner not playing, the Silver and Black have a lot less to worry about.
This becomes especially true when one factors in the absence of Ford, who is a big nose tackle capable of plugging several holes by himself. Ford doesn't play many pass-rush snaps, but he is adequate in that realm as well. No Ford and no Turner is a godsend for the Raiders' interior.
In the first injury report ahead of Week 7, it was also revealed that McDuffie and Landman were non-participants. McDuffie terrorized Las Vegas for years as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and is one of the top cover guys in the league on the boundary.
Landman is the Rams' starting WILL linebacker, and he makes a lot of good plays against the run and in space. It remains to be seen if he or McDuffie will play, but them starting the week as a DNP is not necessarily a good sign, and they could be playing at less than 100% if they do suit up.
That is a lot of big injuries for Los Angeles. But again, it would be foolish to just chalk this up to a win.
Raiders should remember Patriots beatdown and not count out injured foes
Remember how confident fans were going into Week 5's game against the New England Patriots because they were down their top four cornerbacks and several other key players were limited or non-participants during the week? Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Barmore, Christian Elliss, etc.
What did the Patriots do, though? Well, they dismantled the Raiders by a score of 45-17. They dominated Klint Kubiak's team in all three phases of the game despite not even having a backup-level cornerback on the active roster and while several players fought through serious ailments.
There's a reason they play the games, after all. They are won on the field and not on paper.
And let us not forget that this Rams team is still loaded. They have the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford, a First-Team All-Pro receiver in Nacua, a good running back tandem of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, a strong offensive line, and a defense with abundant talent at every level.
Losing key players is easier when you have 18 of them, as Los Angeles does.
So, just because the Rams are missing some starters and difference-makers doesn't mean that they are short on talent. And they have a great coaching staff, so the Raiders can't just look at them being battered and bruised and get a false sense of confidence.
Or else it'll be a repeat of the slaughtering that took place in New England just two Sundays prior.
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