The Raiders are heading into another tough road test with a little more good news than bad on the injury front, even if one key piece is already ruled out.
Las Vegas is set to travel back to California for its long-running matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, and the timing matters. Beginning with its Week 8 trip to the East Coast, the Raiders will play four road games in five weeks. Sunday is the next stop in that stretch, and it comes against a deep, talented 49ers team.
For a Raiders offense that has been trying to find its rhythm, the third quarter has become the swing point. Last Sunday against the Jets, Las Vegas turned in its best third quarter of the season, and that kind of burst has lined up with the team’s wins all year.
In the Raiders’ four losses, the offense scored three points in the third quarter. In their four wins, it scored 37.
The pattern shows up in the broader scoring too. Through three quarters in the four losses, Las Vegas put up 13, 10, 13, and six points.
In the four wins, the totals were 27, 17, 22, and 28. When the offense gets rolling, it changes the game for everything else around it.
That matters because a productive offense can do more than just pile up points. It can keep the defense from being stuck on the field, shorten games, and create the kind of balance that gives a team a chance to survive against better opponents. In the Raiders’ wins, the defense also came up with big plays.
That was the formula again against the Jets. Even with the defense struggling, the offense did enough to give the unit time to make key plays late. The front office spent heavily on the offense this offseason, and the expectation is clear: this group has to produce every week, for all four quarters.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins led the charge in the second half last week, and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said the team is trying to carry that same approach into Sunday.
“That’s really something that, as the head coach sets a vision for something, it’s on all of us as an organization to get that done. So, when he sets a goal for the week, or he sets something that he’s talked about, that he makes a priority, it’s something that we take to heart,” Janocko said earlier this week.
“We implement it in practice. We implement it in things that we’re trying to do, how we’re going about our business, our planning, and then when it comes to fruition, we’re really carrying out his vision, and that’s what it takes to be successful.”
On the injury report, Thomas Booker is the biggest name to go down. Booker, Folorunso Fatukasi, and tight end Ian Thomas were limited early in the week, but Booker missed Friday’s practice after sitting out the previous day as well. Kubiak ruled Booker out for Sunday, leaving Las Vegas thinner on the interior defensive line.
That is a problem for a defense that has already had trouble stopping the run. The Raiders will need more from Tonka Hemingway, Adam Butler, and Tim Keenan with Booker unavailable.
There was better news elsewhere. Fatukasi and Thomas have been trending healthier, and both were back as full participants on Friday. Thomas had been limited on Wednesday before practicing fully on Thursday and Friday.
Darien Porter also worked his way back after missing Wednesday with the groin injury he picked up against the Jets. He returned Thursday on a limited basis and was a full participant Friday, though Kubiak said he will be listed as questionable for Sunday. Porter’s absence last week was noticeable, and the Raiders had to adjust faster than expected.
Dont’e Thornton was another player who moved in the right direction. He was not listed on Wednesday, then showed up as limited Thursday with a back issue before returning to full participation Friday. Whether Kubiak feels comfortable enough to use him on Sunday remains to be seen.
In Other News...
Raiders Face A Trade Deadline Choice That Could Define This Run
The Raiders have spent the first part of the season making a better case for themselves than almost anyone expected, and that has turned the next few weeks into a real test of how serious they are about staying in the playoff picture. With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, the front office has a chance to answer a simple question: is this a team content to ride the momentum, or one willing to push chips in while the window is open?
The roster has clear pressure points, even if the record has softened some of the early skepticism. Help at wide receiver would make life easier on Ashton Jeanty and give the offense more balance, while the defensive front could use another body to complement Maxx Crosby and keep the pass rush from wearing down. Several names have surfaced as possible fits, and the Raiders now have to decide whether to stand pat or make the kind of move that can shape the rest of this run. [Read more 🡒]
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On offense, the conversation around Ashton Jeanty has already taken on a familiar training-camp split: what he has done as a receiver versus what he has shown as a runner. Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said Jeantys work in the passing game has been stronger than his production on the ground, but the team is treating the rushing issues as something bigger than one back, a sign that the Raiders are still sorting out how the whole offense wants to function. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Have Found A First Round Answer To Their Guard Problem
The Raiders have spent enough time searching for stability inside that any promising young lineman is worth a long look, and Minnesota guard Greg Johnson is starting to look like the kind of first-round option that could fit the bill. He brings the size teams want up front, and his tape points to a blocker who can help in both phases, giving Las Vegas a potential answer to a spot that has been a recurring problem.
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 🡒]