Despite their record of 2-10, the Las Vegas Raiders remain undeterred. Will Patrick Graham’s defense be able to slow down Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Whether you’re embracing the “tank” as a fan or not, it’s irrelevant if you’re a player in the locker room. These Raiders players aren’t quitting: not Maxx Crosby, not head coach Antonio Pierce, and certainly not Patrick Graham. Although some fans believe the Raiders are losing on purpose, that’s mostly hearsay and social media talk. The Silver and Black still have five games left, all of which they fully intend to win. The high-scoring Buccaneers offense that’s led by Mayfield awaits Graham and Co.
Despite being 6-6, the Bucs are still vying for a playoff spot in a mediocre NFC South. Heading into Sunday’s morning matchup, Tampa Bay ranks in the top ten across the board in several offensive categories. Among them are total points (3rd), total yards (6th), passing touchdowns (4th), and rushing yards (8th).
Mayfield himself is having another notable season—he’s tossed 25 touchdowns, just three shy of last year’s total. His remarkable completion nearly tops 71 percent (70.8), making him one of the most dangerous signal-callers that Graham’s unit will face.
Graham himself was forthright in his assessment of his upcoming task—the Bucs are going to be problematic for a passing defense that’s 23rd in allowing passing touchdowns.
“The arm strength and the arm talent are there. He can make every throw, and you can see that he trusts his arm, so he’s willing to stick it in there versus tight windows. He does a good job of putting it on the right shoulder for the receivers. And then he could throw the ball down the field as well. To me, he has full access to the field because of his arm strength. He has full access to the field because of his knowledge of the game. That’s always impressive and poses an issue for us. And we got to be on our toes; this is a top 10 offense in almost every category. It’s a big challenge for us.”
For a team that’s dealing with multiple injuries to their defensive backfield, the Raiders could see things get away from them quickly on the road in Tampa Bay.
*Top Photo: USA TODAY Sports
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