Behind enemy lines: 5 questions with Raiders Wire
Check out our latest Behind enemy lines as we talk to Marcus Mosher of Raiders Wire about this week’s Pittsburgh Steelers matchup.
What is the injury situation for the Raiders this week?
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders are one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL. They will be missing both starting guards on Sunday, as well as multiple defensive linemen. Josh Jacobs is also unlikely to play and so is Yannick Ngakoue. For as good as they looked on Monday Night Football, this is a very compromised team entering Week 2.
If you were trying to cover Darren Waller, what would you do?
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Waller is such a difficult cover because he is faster than most safeties, but he is typically 20-30 pounds heavier than most linebackers. The best way to slow him down is to mix up coverages, baiting Derek Carr into some bad throws. Nobody in the league can cover him one-on-one, so it takes a team effort to slow him down and the rest of the offense.
Aside from the obvious, who are one or two Raiders the Steelers should be worried about this week?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Hunter Renfrow isn’t the biggest or fastest player, but all he does is get open. If the Steelers want to play a lot of zone against the Raiders, Renfrow could be in for a big day. Carr really trusts him and he just seems to know how to get open. If the Raiders devote two guys to stopping Waller, look for Renfrow to see even more work in the short passing game.
What is a successful season for Las Vegas this season?
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
In Jon Gruden’s fourth season, they have to make the playoffs. They’ve improved each year, but it’s time for this team to finally make the next step. We saw what they are capable of Week 1, but the concern is that the injuries are starting to pile up far too quickly.
What's your prediction for this week?
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders are in a really tough spot here, as they played an OT Monday Night Football game. Now, they will play a 1:00 PM ET kickoff on the east coast, and Jon Gruden has never had much success doing that. Their offensive line is also in shambles and they’ve lost multiple defensive starters. If the Raiders can keep this game close into the fourth quarter, that would be a major win. However, that doesn’t seem all that likely. Week 1 is going to end up proving to be a very costly win for the Raiders. I’m taking the Steelers in a blowout, 31-13.
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