On Monday night, the Raiders take on the Saints in the first-ever game at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. These are the five key match-ups to watch.
LB Cory Littleton vs RB Alvin Kamara
Just like the opener, the Raiders opponent features a running back who is as good as a receiver as he is as a runner. Littleton has been a solid all-around player and has been especially good in coverage.
Last week, Kamara didn’t do much on the ground for the Saints. He did most of his damage as a receiver, putting up five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. You can bet Littleton will be spying Kamara in the backfield. And with the distinct possibility that Nick Kwiatkoski (pectoral injury) may not play in this game, Littleton will also be counted on to wear the green dot and run the defense. Tall task against such a dynamic Saints attack.
LB Nicholas Morrow vs TE Jared Cook
It looks like the Saints will be without All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas in this one. Cook was the team’s leading receiver in the opener and they will be relying on him even more this week in Thomas’s absence.
Morrow will find himself in coverage against Cook quite a bit in this one while Littleton will have his hands full. These two are pretty familiar with each other. They faced off every day in practice for two years in Oakland. Hard to say who that benefits, but Cook is the more veteran of the two. The best season of his career was in 2018 with the Raiders.
CB Lamarcus Joyner vs WR Emmanuel Sanders
Last week, Joyner got beat up by the Panthers’ receivers over the middle. Emmanuel Sanders may be 33 years old, but he’s still a viable threat in the slot. When you add that he has Drew Brees throwing to him now and will get more looks with Thomas not playing, and Joyner’s coverage will be crucial to the success or failure of the Raiders defense.
Shaky right tackle situation vs DE Cameron Jordan
It’s looking like a distinct possibility the Raiders could be without Trent Brown again this week. They very well could once again be without backup Sam Young as neither player has practiced this week with injuries. That leaves the right tackle work to Denzelle Good and Brandon Parker. A terrifying proposition arguably the league’s top pass rusher.
Cam Jordan would be a holy terror even if Brown played. Young has been serviceable, but he is still a career backup. Good is a backup guard who played tackle for the first time last week. And Parker was inactive for the game and has been downright dreadful in his two years in the NFL. Jordan no doubt smells blood in the water.
RB Josh Jacobs vs LB DeMario Davis
Jacobs was the Raiders’ Mr. Everything last week, scoring three touchdowns and putting up 139 yards of offense, 93 on the ground. This offense runs through him just as it did last season. Davis will be tasked with trying to stop him.
The 31-year-old Davis is coming off an All-Pro season in New Orleans and has averaged 110 tackles over seven seasons as a full time starting linebacker. He is a formidable foe for Jacobs who makes many of his yards after contact.
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