This year’s NFL season has passed quickly, and the last week for the Las Vegas Raiders is underway. The Raiders have had a season filled with highs and lows, but one thing is for sure: fans have been entertained. Even though they have nothing to play for in their season finale, there are some intriguing occurrences. Let’s go over three key developments for the Raiders’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the season finale.
Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams on the cusp of Raiders historyÂ
Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams have been outstanding this season, which is one thing that is certain about the Raiders. The Raiders haven’t had a pair of offensive weapons like these in a while, and both of them can make team history against the Chiefs. Jacobs has set numerous milestones this year, and he is just 151 rushing yards away from tying Marcus Allen for the most rushing yards in a single season in Raiders’ history. Although 151 rushing yards is a lot, Jacobs ran for 154 yards against the Chiefs earlier in the season. Although technically possible, it will be difficult because the Chiefs are competing for the AFC’s top seed. Plus, they’ve probably learned from the previous experience not to take Jacobs lightly.
Adams surpassed Tim Brown last week to hold the record for the most receiving yards in a season. He has a chance to equal or surpass another record this week. With only two fewer than Art Powell’s 16 in a single season, Adam’s 14 touchdown receptions rank second. Adams grabbed two touchdown passes against the Chiefs in their season-opening encounter. Adams thus has a chance at history, just as Jacobs does this week against the Chiefs.
Jarrett Stidham and his development
The quarterback controversy for the upcoming season is heating up. There have been numerous rumors that the Raiders will either draft a quarterback or sign a free agent quarterback. Don’t overlook Jarrett Stidham, though. Stidham’s performance last week against the league’s top defense caught everyone’s attention, including his teammates and the media. If he performs well in this week’s “audition,” where does that put him in the quarterback discussion?
Stidham only needs to continue playing as he did the previous week. Keep it simple; extend plays with his movement and running when necessary. Stidham needs to work on his pocket presence and avoiding hard hits outside of it. Yes, for a quarterback beginning his first game, his pocket presence was good, but more still needs to be done. I was also concerned when I saw him trying to tuck his head against incoming linebackers. Josh McDaniels has probably already started to hound him about it. If Stidham keeps up his performance, McDaniels will have to make some difficult decisions regarding the quarterback conundrum.
It is now or never for certain players
The Raiders have 30 players whose contracts expire at the end of this season, according to Spotrac. Of course, some players won’t be coming back, and the Raiders would like to re-sign some of them. However, there are some players who are on the verge. For example, there’s Foster Moreau, Roderic Teamer, Jerry Tillery, Clelin Ferrell, and Alex Bars. These players must leave a positive impression on Mark Davis and the coaches if they hope to play for the Raiders the following season. They will be able to convince the higher-ups with strong performances from those players against the Chiefs.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken
