On one hand, this is the second time a bunch of Raiders players have been sent home for a week due to close contact with a teammate who tested positive for COVID-19. On the other hand, they have never experienced anything like this.
Ahead of their Week 7 match-up with the Buccaneers last month, the Raiders had six players sent home. Tackle Trent Brown had tested positive for COVID-19 and thus the rest of the starting offensive line along with safety Johnathan Abram were all sent home for the week for close contact. A total of six players.
The Raiders currently have 11 players in quarantine this week. Ten of them on the defensive side of the ball. Five are full-time starters — DE Clelin Ferrell, DT Johnathan Hankins, DT Maliek Collins, LB Cory Littleton, and CB Lamarcus Joyner.
Ferrell and Littleton aren’t expected to play, while all the others could potentially be cleared on game day, but not before.
“This is all new to all of us having this many guys out,” said Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther.
“The offense had one position group that was kind of decimated for the week, we have guys at all three levels of our defense that aren’t here and practicing and in the meetings where you can look them in the eye or you can take them through things on the practice field, little tweaks or whatever it may be that this team does. So, we just got to do the best job we can as coaches, we’ve got a great staff here on the defensive side at getting the information out to the players and really detailing those things, spending a little bit more extra time after practice on the zoom meetings with these guys so they understand the details of the game plan.”
Preparing for the Chiefs is tough to do when all conditions are ideal. Though the Raiders were able to do it this season already, no other team has managed to accomplish it this season. These circumstances are far from ideal. In fact, as I noted this week, this is looking like a perfect storm the Raiders are headed for.
Guenther knows it, too. But the game must be played, and the league isn’t postponing it either, so he must play the hand he’s dealt.
“I don’t know how we could beat these guys with a full lineup at practice, let alone 3/4 of your linemen not here all week,” Guenther said. . . “I know one thing; we’re going to show up at 5:20 and give 100% because that’s what we do. We’ll get these guys ready to play, whoever’s out there at 5:20 they’ll be ready to go.”
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