The Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 8 depth chart doesn’t bring a flood of changes, and that’s the point. This is still a team searching for answers in the same places it has been searching all season, even as offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said the work behind the scenes has been altered this week.
“We’re always adjusting practice. We don’t ever want to copy and paste practice. So, Klint [Kubiak] will identify things each week that we want to work on, whether it’s something that we want to improve on or something that we want to capitalize on,” Janocko said.
“So, there are different things. Without going into specifics, there’s stuff every week that we are going to do and change.
It’s not just the same every week. We’re trying to maximize our style of play and then continuing to improve on places that we feel that maybe we either fell short or that we feel like we can do better on.”
What stands out most is how many of the same issues keep showing up. The Raiders have dropped four straight, and over the last four third quarters combined, they’ve managed just three points. That kind of drought puts even more pressure on a roster that already looks thin in key spots.
At quarterback, Cousins remains one of the league’s best.
The ground game, though, needs a lot more. Jeanty and Washington have to help themselves as much as the offensive line has to hold up.
There’s also a case for giving Laube more chances on offense, especially with the way he has been trending. He is close to breaking a game-changing play.
The receiver group has a few interesting wrinkles this week. Nailor’s value goes beyond the box score, and the offense simply looks more open with him on the field. Thornton is set to appear on offense for the first time this season, while Jack Bech is back in the fold, making this a week worth watching for how the passing game is deployed.
Tucker also continues to stand out in a different way. The numbers show he creates separation more often than many receivers around the league.
Up front, the Raiders still need help at offensive guard. Miller appears to still be working his way back after missing nearly all of last season, while Linerbaum may be dealing with the weight of overcompensating mentally and physically.
His contract may have brought expectations that aren’t helping matters. Las Vegas may have a bigger right guard issue than it first appears before the trade deadline, and the long-term view is even more blunt: they’ll need to invest heavily in both guard spots after this season.
Glaze remains dependable, though he still has room to improve. The team’s reluctance to play Zuhn at guard suggests they either aren’t comfortable with him there or they trust their starting guards more, especially with both tackle spots already settled.
On defense, the Raiders need Crosby to raise his level. They also appear likely to keep rotating between three players moving forward, and the departure of Jonah Laulu should wake up the interior defensive line.
Paye needs more production, especially against the run and as a pass rusher on an individual basis. That’s part of a larger issue for the defense: stopping the run has to come first, because that’s what allows the linebackers to focus on slowing down the passing game.
Walker is the tricky one. Las Vegas has a real talent there, but it has to figure out how to use him without overdoing it. The holes in the back end and the defense’s struggles against the run leave Walker exposed more than anyone else.
Stokes has shown he can erase big plays. Now the Raiders need him to take away the smaller ones, too, with more pass breakups like he had in his first season in Las Vegas. Johnson also has to be tighter in coverage, though that becomes easier when the pass rush is doing its part.
Chinn remains one of the most reliable players on the defense.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Have A New Trade Deadline Concern With JPJ
With the November 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Raiders suddenly have more than one name floating around in the rumor mill. Jackson Powers-Johnson has become part of that conversation after landing on the injury report with a back issue, adding another layer to a week already filled with speculation about which veterans and young pieces could be in play if Las Vegas decides to listen.
The chatter has not been limited to one player, either, with Isaiah Pola-Mao, Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins also mentioned as possible trade candidates depending on how the season and the coaching situation unfold. For Raiders fans, the concern is less about a single rumor than the larger question of whether the front office views this roster as one worth holding together, or one that could be reshaped before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Could Get Needed Help Back With One Big Role Question
Jack Bech is back in the conversation for the Raiders at a time when they could use another dependable body at wide receiver. The rookie has already built a reputation inside the building for his energy, work habits and willingness to block in the run game, traits that tend to earn trust quickly in a room where every role matters. After missing time with a broken arm, he is again eligible to return, which gives Las Vegas another option as it tries to sort out its passing-game rotation.
Klint Kubiak has left the door open for Bech to play against the Jets, but the bigger question is how much of a role he can handle right away. For a Raiders offense looking for help, simply getting him back on the field would matter, yet the real intrigue is whether his return comes with a meaningful workload or just a limited first step back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Maxx Crosby Deadline Question Fans Can't Ignore
Trade deadline chatter has put Maxx Crosby back in the middle of the leagues rumor mill, and this time the Minnesota Vikings are the team drawing attention. The talk around Minnesota has not been limited to one name, either, with reports tying the Vikings to Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins as well as Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, which only adds to the sense that the next few days could get busy fast.
For Las Vegas, the Crosby angle is the one that matters most because it would involve one of the franchises most important players and a move that would reshape the defense in a hurry. Nothing has been confirmed, and these discussions are still speculative, but the fact that Crosby is even part of the deadline conversation is enough to make Raiders fans pay close attention to how this market develops. [Read more 🡒]