It’s back-to-back division rival games for the Raiders with the Broncos coming to town. They held on to beat the Chargers last week and will look to make it 3-0 against AFC West foes this season this Sunday. Whether they can do that could depend highly on these matchups.
RT Sam Young vs. DE Bradley Chubb
The past two weeks Young has gotten eaten up by the opposing team’s best available pass rusher. Not their best pass rusher, but their best available. This will be the third week for that as Von Miller will not be playing in this game as he is on injured reserve. Chubb is no slouch though. He leads the team with 5.5 sacks this season and will be licking his chops at the possibility of adding to his total this week against Young who has given up three sacks the past couple weeks including a strip-sack.
LB Nicholas Morrow vs. TE Noah Fant
Morrow is usually the team’s nickel linebacker, but his role could expand this week with Cory Littleton placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He will often have the responsibility of covering the tight ends with Fant leading the way for the Broncos. The former first-round tight end leads the team in catches (32) for 349 yards and two touchdowns.
QB Derek Carr vs. FS Justin Simmons
Simmons has had at least three interceptions in each of the past three seasons. That includes this season where he has already put up a team-leading three interceptions. He also leads the team with five pass breakups after leading the team with 15 last season.
Carr and the Raiders offense will test the Broncos deep and Simmons will be patrolling centerfield hoping to make him pay for that. Carr knows he must be aware of Simmons is at all times. Carr’s ability to use his eyes to draw Simmons away from his intended target will be key.
DE Maxx Crosby vs Fifth-string RT??
To understand the significance of this, you have to look at just what it took to get to Anderson as the right tackle. He could be their FIFTH starting right tackle this season. Ju’Wuan James was supposed to be the starter, but he opted out before the season. Elijah Wilkinson started the season and was placed on injured reserve after week three. Veteran Demar Dotson stepped in and started five games. and last week he went out with a groin and hand injury. Dotson was replaced by Jake Rodgers who missed practice Thursday with a shoulder injury and he is questionable for the game. If he can’t go, that brings the Broncos to undrafted rookie Calvin Anderson who hasn’t played a snap on offense this season.
Crosby leads the Raiders with five sacks this season. No one else on the team even has two full sacks. The Raiders will hope to take advantage of this seeming mismatch against whoever the Broncos throw out there at right tackle.
WR Henry Ruggs III vs WR Jerry Jeudy
This is one of those rare non offense vs defense match-ups. This is a battle of former Alabama first-round rookies. Jeudy has been winning the battle this season with his former teammate turned rival. Taken three picks after Ruggs, Jeudy leads the Broncos with 30 catches for 484 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s three times as many catches as Ruggs (10) and more than double his yards (220). This is about perception and how they perform on the same field Sunday will go a long way in forming that perception.
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