The Raiders head into Week 9 with a few lineup decisions still hanging in the balance, but after last Sunday’s win over the New York Jets, the coaching staff has reason to keep some of those changes in place.
The biggest one came at right guard, where Las Vegas moved away from the Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers rotation and gave rookie Trey Zuhn the job. It was a notable shift, and one that seemed to pay off.
The Jets are not a dominant defense, but they were still able to make life difficult for the Raiders early, holding them to 97 total yards in the first half. Even so, Zuhn’s performance was encouraging enough that he may have given himself a real chance to hold onto the spot.
That test gets a lot tougher this week. San Francisco’s defense presents a much bigger challenge than New York’s, which makes Sunday a far better measuring stick for Zuhn. If he handles the 49ers well, the right guard job could be his to lose.
Las Vegas also made a change at running back against the Jets, starting rookie Mike Washington over Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders can’t afford to take Jeanty off the field for a full game, especially with his value as a receiver out of the backfield, but the way the team split the workload last week is something they can build on again in Week 9.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko had strong words for Washington earlier this week after his Week 8 performance.
“He’s somebody that continues to improve, really works his craft. He wants to get better at each and every single thing he does, whether it’s fitting his hands up, his eyes, everything coming out.
It’s all the little fundamental things that we talk about. It’s stuff that he wants to get better at, improve on, and that’ll allow him to become a more successful player,” Janocko said earlier this week.
“Running the ball is a full team thing. The greatest thing about football in general is that it’s 11 as one on every single play. So, it takes all 11 for everybody to be successful."
There’s also uncertainty on the defensive side with cornerback Darien Porter, who returned to practice this week after playing just one snap against the Jets. He’s listed as questionable for Week 9, but the groin injury he’s dealing with could make the Raiders cautious. Speed is one of Porter’s biggest strengths, and groin issues have a way of sticking around.
That puts Las Vegas in a tricky spot. The game against the 49ers already looks like a difficult one, and the Raiders may decide it’s not worth pushing Porter if there’s any real concern about his long-term health. They faced a similar kind of call earlier this season with Ashton Jeanty against a New England Patriots team that was missing more than five players before the game ended.
If Porter sits, it wouldn’t be ideal for Sunday, but it could help protect him going forward. It would also open the door for other corners on the roster.
Even if Porter is active, rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses should still be in line for plenty of work. He’s already had a season full of big swings, and Sunday could be another busy one.
Kubiak said the team is still sorting through those decisions as the season moves along.
“I think it’s always a moving target. See where your team’s at, and who’s playing the best ball at the time.
And it’s a 17-game regular season where things change every week. And [there have] been changes at guard," Kubiak said earlier this week.
"[We have] changed up front defensively. Changed at corner, and that’s the NFL. We have a young roster, and we’re going to give guys opportunities and see what fits us best.”
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What makes Johnson especially intriguing is how much more than a simple guard prospect he appears to be. His versatility gives him appeal across the offensive line, and his work in pass protection and run blocking suggests a player who could step into a bigger role quickly if he continues on this path toward the 2027 NFL Draft. For a Raiders team trying to build real durability in the trenches, that kind of flexibility is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]