Which members of the Las Vegas Raiders offense should we keep an eye on against the New York Giants?
The Las Vegas Raiders will be heading to New Jersey (I know what I said) to play the Giants. The Raiders are 5-2, having won two straight. These three Raiders on offense will be important in keeping that win streak going.
QB Derek Carr
It is not an overstatement to say that Derek Carr’s leadership has been tested this season. With Jon Gruden’s resignation and Henry Ruggs’ release, the veteran has had to rally the locker room. “Whether it’s fair or not, I have to compartmentalize, and I have a job to do,” Carr said in his latest press conference. Carr has shown resilience and has delivered stellar numbers so far. He is fifth in passing yards through eight weeks. The New York Giants defense is 16th in passing yards allowed per game.Â
Carr has been known for not playing well in early window games, which was speculated to be due to bad weather. His career record in early games is 15-19, with a 91.9 passer rating. Since 2020, the Raiders are 5-2 in early games, and Carr’s passer rating in those games is +100. Carr has said that their team is ready to play, despite what has gone on off the field. He is the one that will have to prove that the most tomorrow.
WR Bryan Edwards
Following Ruggs’ release, it is now up to Bryan Edwards to lead the receiver group. Edwards is fourth in team receiving yards with 346Â but tied for the second-highest yards per catch with 19.2. His average yards per catch will likely go down with more targets, but that shouldn’t be a concern. He has shown to be very reliable in key moments with several clutch plays in the fourth quarter and overtime situations. Edwards has done very well on short and intermediate routes, which should work against a Giants defense that plays a lot of zone coverage.
TE Darren Waller
After being a late scratch in week seven, Waller had the bye week to get healthy and looks to be ready for Sunday. As said before, the Giants play plenty of zone, so Waller should see his number called many times. He is also heavily due for a great game as he hasn’t gotten over 65 receiving yards since the opening week. The last time Waller was in New Jersey (yes, I said it again), he gashed the Jets with 200 receiving yards and two scores. Even though it won’t be the Jets, perhaps being in the same stadium can still bring out that version of Waller.
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*Top Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images