When the Las Vegas Raiders travel across state lines and return home to take on the San Francisco 49ers, they'll have their hands full. Yes, the 49ers have some outstanding injuries, but this is a team that is littered with star players on both sides of the ball and at every level.
Fans know that Christian McCaffrey will be a problem if he plays. They know the Brock Purdy-George Kittle connection is as strong as ever. They know Mike Evans is tough to stop. They know Fred Warner is an animal and that Nick Bosa, if he returns, will be difficult to block. Kyle Shanahan has a squad.
But if you look at the box score, you may also notice that they have a young cornerback by the name of Renardo Green who already has three interceptions this season - the only three that Raheem Morris' defense has. And conventional wisdom would say to stay away from that player.
However, Green is boom or bust, and the Raiders should not be scared to throw his way at all.
Raiders can't let Renardo Green's 3 INTs scare them in Week 9
Green, to his credit, has very good instincts. He can close quickly on a pass when it's in the air and undercut routes to take them the other way, as he has done three times this season. Green picked off Matthew Stafford in Week 1 and Sam Darnold twice in Week 5. Surely, he can get Kirk Cousins.
Hidden underneath these three interceptions, though, is a player who still gives up a whole lot in the passing game. Yes, turnovers are pivotal, often game-altering plays, and Las Vegas cannot afford to just give the ball away against such a great opponent. But it's worth the risk of throwing at Green.
In 283 coverage snaps this year, Green has been targeted 29 times and given up 21 catches for 244 yards, including 87 after the catch and 2 touchdowns. His overall passer rating allowed is 80.9, but interceptions weigh heavily in that. Green is giving up 11.6 yards per catch on 3 receptions per game.
This isn't just a bad stretch for Green, either. As a rookie, he picked off one pass and broke up nine, but he also allowed 493 receiving yards and three touchdowns in just 389 coverage snaps. In 2025, he had no picks and seven passes defended but gave up 445 yards and two touchdowns.
Don't get me wrong; Green is a good corner. But he's not at the echelon of a Devon Witherspoon or Patrick Surtain II, where you try not to throw his way.
How Las Vegas can expose Renardo Green on Sunday
Simply put, Klint Kubiak needs to put Green in matchups that aren't advantageous to him and target him when he's in zone or off-man. Green is good at pressing wideouts but gets caught carrying too deep or playing too far off when he's in zone, and he doesn't break on the ball quickly in off-man.
His ability to press well can also get him in trouble, as Green can get overzealous near the line of scrimmage and will get beat on a quick move. Brock Bowers is really the only player capable of taking advantage of that as a separator, but it's something for Kubiak and Cousins to know.
Green also gets fooled when multiple routes come into his zone, and the Cardinals got him out of position multiple times in Week 3, although they didn't take advantage of it. He just gets lost at times and gives up chunk plays, so his good ball skills should not deter Las Vegas from throwing it his way.
If the Raiders see him at the line of scrimmage, ready to press anyone but Bowers, the play should probably go the other way. But if he's off the receiver, then Cousins has a good chance of finding a completion in that direction.
What Cousins cannot do is float the ball in his area, trying to layer a pass in; that's where Green is best. But that shouldn't scare the veteran quarterback, and he should know that if he throws at Green often enough, good things will happen, even if Cousins gives one away.
Add us as a preferred source on Google