Week 7 brings a matchup that feels loaded with consequences for both sides, as the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams meet on Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders have dropped three in a row, while the Rams are dealing with injuries to key starters and special teams errors that have been a problem all season. What looked like an easy spot for the Rams has turned into a game that could shape the rest of both teams’ seasons.
For Las Vegas, the path to a much-needed win runs through a handful of players who can tilt the game in specific spots. Here are five Raiders to keep an eye on in a matchup that could turn on trench play, middle-of-the-field defense, and special teams impact.
Caleb Rogers will have his hands full with Aaron Donald, who is still a major problem for offensive linemen even after coming out of retirement. Donald is regularly facing double and triple teams, which helps explain why the production has not matched the expectations around him. That could change on Sunday if the Raiders decide to leave their guards one-on-one more often, and Rogers will need to answer that challenge.
Rogers is making his second start of the season after turning in an impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills’ defensive front last week. Nothing he has shown suggests he is headed back to the bench any time soon, and if he can slow Donald down, it could go a long way toward earning even more trust from head coach Klint Kubiak.
Quay Walker is another Raider who may need to play at a high level for Las Vegas to come out on top. The former Green Bay Packer has been at his best as a versatile WILL linebacker, handling pass rush duties, setting the edge, helping against the run, and covering ground in the middle of the field.
That versatility matters here because the Rams enter the game with the third-best run success rate at 48.6%, according to Next Gen Stats. Walker has a chance to make plays in the backfield while also helping shut down the middle against Los Angeles’ heavy use of 13 personnel, with three tight ends on the field.
Tonka Hemingway is back after missing last week with a concussion, and his return comes at a time when the Raiders need his burst and penetration at the line of scrimmage. He comes into the game with no injury designation and has become arguably the team’s best defensive tackle.
That puts a lot on his plate against a strong Rams interior offensive line, but Las Vegas will be counting on him to be a difference-maker in the middle of the front.
Special teams could also swing this one, and that is where the Rams have repeatedly hurt themselves. Their coverage units have lacked discipline on punts and kickoffs, and they have given up major returns along the way.
That creates an opening for the Raiders to make some noise with Laube and Benson. Their speed and quickness give Las Vegas a chance to manufacture big plays in the return game and take advantage of one of Los Angeles’ biggest weaknesses.
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 🡒]