The Week 9 contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars could be viewed as a swing game for both teams, especially with the NFL’s trade deadline coming up next Tuesday.
The Raiders aren’t looking toward the future just yet, despite owning a 2-5 record, but taking another loss could be the last domino that needs to fall for the organization to officially become sellers next week. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are currently half a game out of an AFC Wild Card spot and need to bounce back after dropping two games in a row.
So, both teams still have something to play for, heightening the stakes for this week’s key matchups.
Devin White vs. Travis Etienne Jr.
While Jacksonville’s passing game with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hutner seems to get most of the attention, their offense runs through Etienne. He leads the team with 594 yards from scrimmage, over 200 yards more than Thomas and nearly 300 more than Hunter, and owns the highest grade from Pro Football Focus (77.7) on that side of the ball.
Additionally, Etienne ranks 11th in the league with 514 rushing yards, is eighth in rushing yards per game (73.4) and is averaging a career high 5.3 yards per carry, which is tied for fourth-best among running backs with at least 41 carries. Clearly, he should be a focal point for the Raiders’ defense, and that means the team is going to need White to be at his best.
The linebacker has made several plays as a run defender this year, as he’s in the Top 25 at his position with 12 defensive stops and has a 3.8-yard average depth of tackle against the run, per PFF. However, he owns an ugly 43.4 run defense grade and a 14.3 percent missed tackle rate that ranks in the bottom 20 at the position (minimum 49 run defense snaps) is a big reason why.
Meanwhile, Etienne has forced 17 missed tackles when running the ball this season. Also, White primarily makes plays against the run by leaning on his instincts, and Jaguars’ head coach and offensive play caller, Liam Coen, is known for having a creative rushing attack that gives linebackers a lot of eye candy and can cause them to hesitate.
So, the seven-year pro is going to be tested in a handful of ways on Sunday and must be up to the task for the Raiders to keep the Jaguars in check.
Stone Forsythe vs. Josh Hines-Allen
Don’t let Hines-Allen’s box score stats fool you. Yes, he only has half a sack on the year so far, but he’s still getting plenty of pressure on the quarterback.
The two-time Pro Bowler has accumulated 33 pressures in seven games, which is tied for eighth among edge rushers, matching the Denver Broncos’ duo of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper and just one behind Myles Garrett, per PFF. Also, his 18.0 win percentage is in the top 20 at the position (minimum 57 pass rush snaps).
Clearly, Hines-Allen is still a problem that opposing offensive lines have to account for. Considering that over 75 percent of his total snaps have come on the right edge (265 out of 347), it will be extra important for Las Vegas to protect Geno Smith’s blind side this Sunday.
That challenge is even more difficult considering Kolton Miller is on injured reserve. Forsythe has filled in for Miller over the last three weeks and has struggled in pass protection, allowing six pressures, including two sacks and a quarterback hit, to earn a 55.7 grade from PFF in that department.
So, he needs to step up, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly needs to give him some help via chip blocks and double teams for the Raiders to have success with their passing attack.
Granted, it wouldn’t be surprising to see rookie Charles Grant get a shot at left tackle, seeing as Forsythe has been struggling and Grant has only recorded one regular-season snap on offense. Regardless, the point is that the Silver and Black must have a strong game plan for Hines-Allen and protecting Smith’s blind side.
Geno Smith vs. Devin Lloyd
A quarterback against a linebacker isn’t exactly the type of matchup you’re expecting to see. However, Lloyd isn’t a typical linebacker.
He currently owns the highest coverage grade from PFF, not just at his position but across all NFL defenders with at least 69 coverage snaps, by posting an elite 91.6 mark. A big reason is that the fourth-year pro is tied with Chicago Bears’ safety Kevin Byard for the league lead in interceptions (four). Raider Nation might remember Byard from his Week 4 performance in Las Vegas when he picked off Smith twice.
That outing is a part of the reason why the Raiders’ signal-caller is tied for the most interceptions (10) in the league. What’s even more concerning about this matchup is that he’s struggled to see the middle of the field, as six of his picks have come between the numbers, per PFF, where he can expect to see Lloyd on Sunday.
It’s no secret that turning the ball over was one of the Silver and Black’s biggest issues during the first half of the season. So, this isn’t a favorable matchup for Geno, but it is an opportunity for him to start righting the ship for the rest of the campaign.
In full disclosure, Lloyd did miss the Jaguars’ most recent game with a calf injury. However, the team was on a bye last week, meaning he’s had extra time to recover and could suit up on Sunday.
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