It has been a hectic week for the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only are they still just days removed from a demoralizing overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they had to quickly turn around and travel for an upcoming Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos in Week 10.
Oh, and the trade deadline was on Tuesday afternoon, so head coach Pete Carroll and the team didn't even know exactly who would be on the roster just two days later in a crucial AFC West matchup. Ultimately, however, Jakobi Meyers was the only player dealt.
Beating the 7-2 Broncos on the road, on a short week, no less, will be no easy task, especially not without Meyers. There are two young Raiders, however, who can flip the matchup on its head if they have a breakout game, as they are suddenly under a microscope heading into the divisional clash.
Raiders need Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. to step up vs. Broncos
Rookie wide receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. have not produced much thus far in the 2025 NFL season. They have dealt with infrequent usage, to be fair, and they have not shared the field very much in their NFL careers.
When Meyers was out with an injury in Week 7, both played a majority of the snaps for the first time all year. Of course, that matchup didn't go very well, as the offense was completely inept in a 31-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Tyler Lockett in town, not only did Bech not play a single offensive snap last Sunday against the Jaguars, but Thornton was a healthy scratch. Carroll has, obviously, changed his tune about that with Meyers now gone, as he told reporters during his Wednesday media availability.
"Yeah, he'll be active," Carroll said of Thornton. "He's growing every day we're together. He gains more experience and more confidence to do things exactly the way we want him to. He always has played hard, and we're just counting on him to just keep going. This is a great chance for him to answer. ... I did not like not having him last week."
RELATED: Geno Smith said what every Raiders fan was thinking about Jakobi Meyers
Carroll was also asked about what Meyers' exit means for Bech, as the two had similar roles in Chip Kelly's offense, which hasn't been conducive to many chances for the first-year player.
"Jack (will get an opportunity) as well," Carroll said. "Jack's gonna get more turns. Jack's been working really hard to get it done. His role is becoming clear, and so you'll see that as we get moving forward."
Raider Nation sure hopes that these two can answer the bell, as Denver's defense is among the best in recent memory of the NFL, even without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, in the lineup.
But fans have to believe that Thornton started at the beginning of the year for a reason, and Bech was taken in the second round for a reason. It may not all come together in primetime against the Broncos, but this is, ideally, the first step in them proving that they're a formidable young duo.
Obviously, the passing attack will center around Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker. But Geno Smith talked about Bech during his Tuesday media availability, and Raiders fans are begging for him to be right in his assessment.
"He can help this offense," Smith said of Bech. "He's extremely strong at the top of the route; he does a great job of attacking the ball. You can see, when he does get the ball in his hands, he tries to make something happen. The opportunities haven't really been there for him to showcase what he can do, but that may change here in the future."