Safety Marcus Epps was one of the players who the Raiders signed early this off-season. Las Vegas opted against keeping veteran Duron Harmon. Instead, they chose a younger building block that had a career-year with the Super Bowl runner-up Eagles.
What could go wrong?
Epps’ Coverage Issues Were Seen Early In Raiders Debut
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham used the Wyoming product all over the field in week one. Shockingly, Epps saw less snaps in the box (13) than his “ballhawk” counterpart Tre’von Moehrig (19). Epps was used at Nickel for 13 snaps and as a true Free Safety on 38 occasions.
The best way to describe Marcus Epps in week one is…Familiar. Unfortunately for the four-year vet, the most memorable part of his game against Denver was losing track of Courtland Sutton in the back end zone. The second-quarter miscue sent the Raiders into the locker room with a halftime deficit. Sure, Russell Wilson went off schedule to make the completion happen, but Epps losing a target like Sutton so easily is unacceptable.
Russell Wilson to Courtland Sutton Passing TD (2/1) pic.twitter.com/4DDq5tSAgo
— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVideos2023) September 10, 2023
On a positive note, there wasn’t many other major incidents for No. 1. But he also never flashed outside of a single tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
Can Epps Find Success In Week Two?
Week two only gets more difficult for the secondary as a whole with Las Vegas visiting the Buffalo Bills. If Epps thought he had his work cut out for him when Russ broke the pocket, wait until Josh Allen is launching rockets in his direction.
In all seriousness, it will be important for the Raiders’ defensive backs to stay on task when Allen leaves the pocket. One can only guess how Patrick Graham will deploy his safety tandem on Sunday, but it’s no secret that Buffalo’s QB is prone to turnovers due to reckless play. Let’s hope Marcus can channel the spirit of Jordan Whitehead and secure a few interceptions.
*Top Photo: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
