The Raiders walk into Sunday’s matchup with the Rams knowing exactly what’s at stake. A win at Allegiant Stadium would give Las Vegas a badly needed jolt and soften the blow of what has already been a rough stretch. A loss, on the other hand, would leave them staring at a four-game skid before next weekend’s road trip to the New York Jets turns into a much bigger test.
That’s the tightrope here: the Raiders are still in a position where they can steal a game and get moving in the right direction, while the Rams arrive with injuries scattered across both sides of the ball. Los Angeles may be 2-4, but that record has already started to look like the kind of team it is right now. Even so, Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and company still have enough juice to make life difficult.
For Las Vegas, the task is simple in theory and harder in practice - play its best football. Through six games, the Raiders have shown they can hang with anybody when they do. That’s why Sunday matters so much: this is the kind of matchup they need to turn into a result.
The bigger picture also gives the Raiders some breathing room. Their schedule gets more manageable after this, so the long view is still there even if Sunday doesn’t break their way. But another loss would turn next week’s game against the Jets into a must-win for Kubiak’s team.
Kubiak said earlier this week that his team has handled the three-game losing streak as well as it can.
“Yeah, as professionals, that's part of the price of admission for being here. At least that's what we talk about, and they have to go do it. So you stress things, and you look for team-oriented guys, and you promote team-oriented guys, and you celebrate those things,” Kubiak said earlier this week.
“And so, I do like where we're headed in that regard. But I think a lot of that comes from mom and dad, who those who those people are, and how they were raised, and our scouting department identifying those traits when drafting or signing guys.”
Las Vegas has a chance to erase a lot of the frustration from the last three weeks with one clean performance. But the Rams still bring enough firepower to make Sunday anything but simple.
In Other News...
Raiders Defensive Line Shuffle Could Matter More Than Fans Realize
The Raiders Week 7 inactive list brought a quiet but meaningful tweak to the interior of their defense, with the team setting its depth before facing the Rams. Las Vegas also listed Aidan OConnell as the emergency third quarterback, but the bigger roster note was up front, where the defensive tackle rotation will look different than it did a week ago.
Tim Keenan III was elevated from the practice squad and is set for his Raiders debut, a move that adds fresh legs to a group trying to hold up against a Rams offense that has Puka Nacua available. The timing matters for Las Vegas, too, because Thomas Booker IV and Jonah Laulu are inactive, leaving the Raiders to manage the middle of the line with a thinner margin than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A New Worry About The Rams Passing Game
The Raiders preparation for the Rams just got a little trickier, because Los Angeles is still holding out hope that Puka Nacua will be available for the matchup despite the calf issue that had him on the injury report. Nacua was feeling better Saturday and is now being treated as a game-time decision, which matters even more for a Rams passing game that already lost Davante Adams to a hamstring injury.
For Las Vegas, the concern is less about any one name than what happens if Nacua suits up and becomes the centerpiece of the Rams aerial attack. With Adams unavailable, Los Angeles is leaning harder on the passing game than it otherwise would, and the Raiders will have to plan for the possibility that Nacua is on the field after all. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Have A Real Chance To Exploit One Rams Weakness
The Raiders head into Week 7 with a matchup that could tilt in their favor if they can press a Rams roster dealing with injury issues at wide receiver. Las Vegas has reasons to like this spot, too, especially with its own tight end group looking like a usable part of the passing game and the Rams potentially forced to lean more heavily on their tight ends to keep the offense moving.
For the Raiders, that creates an opening to attack a weakened spot while still leaning into what has been one of their more workable personnel groupings. Michael Mayer and Dylan Laube are both names to watch in that conversation, since the game could push Las Vegas toward more involvement from the tight end position and more opportunity for backfield help in passing situations, even if the exact shape of that usage remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]