With the 2-8 Cleveland Browns and 2-8 Las Vegas Raiders facing off in Week 12, this game has big implications when it comes to the 2026 NFL draft order. The Browns currently own the third overall pick while the Raiders sit at No. 6 heading into the weekend, per Tankathon. So, the “winner” of this game could actually be the team that loses, considering both clubs should be building for the future. With that in mind, this week’s key matchups will continue to focus on the Raiders’ younger players.
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that note, while many may expect to see current NFL sack leader Myles Garrett featured here, he wasn’t included in any of the matchups below. Nearly 80 percent of Garrett’s snaps this season have come as a right defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus, meaning he’ll be facing off against Las Vegas’ left tackle Stone Forsythe with Kolton Miller still on injured reserve. Since Forsythe is a backup who is on a one-year contract and will be 28 next month, there’s no point in featuring that matchup with the focus on the team’s future.
Isaiah Pola-Mao vs. Shedeur Sanders
With fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffering a concussion last week, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Wednesday that Sanders will make his much-anticipated first NFL start in Las Vegas. After Gabriel’s exit on Sunday, Sanders made his regular-season debut and had a rough outing, completing just four passes on 16 attempts for 47 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Diving deeper into the numbers, PFF credited the fifth-round pick with one “big-time throw” and three “turnover-worthy plays”. Granted, he’s in a different situation this week, getting to prepare to be the starter rather than being thrown into the fire mid-game. This will be the first time Sanders is in this circumstance, so it will be interesting to see how he handles it.
For the record, he had one good outing during the preseason, completing 14 of 23 pass attempts for 138 yards, two touchdowns and a couple of BTTs with no TWPs. However, his second game was a different story, going three-for-six with 14 yards, no BTTs and two TWPs.
Meanwhile, it will be Pola-Mao’s job to create confusion for the young quarterback and take advantage of any mistakes. The 26-year-old has been the Raiders’ primary free safety this season, and while he has taken more snaps in the box recently, 81 out of his 124 snaps over the last two weeks have been on the backend of the defense.
Pola-Mao has managed to come up with a couple of interceptions this season, but he does have something to prove to keep his spot as a starter moving forward. The safety is tied for the second-most touchdowns allowed (five) at the position and owns the worst PFF coverage grade (29.2, minimum 91 coverage snaps) this season, as there have been several instances where he’s been caught out of position.
Also, Pola-Mao will presumably draw Browns’ rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. when he is lined up at strong safety. Fannin will likely be Sanders’ safety net on Sunday, especially since the third-round pick is currently the team’s leading receiver with 44 catches and 422 yards this season. That’s 13 receptions and 66 yards more than anyone else on Cleveland’s roster.
Ashton Jeanty vs. Carson Schwesinger
To be fair, Las Vegas’ patchwork offensive line will also be a major factor in this matchup. It’s no secret that Jeanty has had little to no breathing room this season, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and 3.11 yards after contact per attempt, according to PFF. For context, the former is tied for 44th among running backs with at least 40 attempts and the latter is 21st.
Last week was the best example of that as the sixth overall pick’s longest rush was 11 yards, yet he finished the game with seven rushing yards.
But Jeanty needs to take advantage when the offensive line does open up a lane for him. The good news is that he’s tied for fourth with 36 missed tackles forced as a rusher and tied for seventh among running backs with nine MTFs as a receiver, per PFF. That sets up for an interesting rookie-rookie battle with Schwesinger.
The 33rd overall selection of the draft has had a solid first season, ranking second in the draft class with PFF grades of 68.5 overall, 69.9 against the run and 64.4 in coverage, only trailing first-round pick Jihaad Campbell in all three categories. Also, Schwesinger ranks tied for 12th among all linebackers with 20 ‘defensive stops’ as a run defender.
However, the UCLA product has hit a rough patch when it comes to missed tackles, whiffing on eight attempts over the last four games. That’s something Jeanty will look to take advantage of on Sunday.
Tonka Hemingway vs. Joe Bitonio
While Pete Carroll has seemingly refused to play the majority of the Raiders’ 2025 draft class, Hemingway is one of the few rookies who have been in the mix recently. He recorded 19 snaps against the Denver Broncos in Week 10 and then 38 versus the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, per PFF, partially due to Jonah Laulu leaving the Cowboys game with a ribs injury. That being said, the rookie has a lot of work to do.
He’s recorded just one tackle on the season and only has one pressure on 44 pass rushes. As a result, Hemingway has earned an ugly 30.1 overall grade from PFF and a 28.2 mark against the run. So, there’s plenty of room for growth, and it will be important for him to turn it around over the next seven weeks to build some momentum heading into next season.
If Laulu is out again, Hemingway will likely spend the majority of his time on the right side of the defensive line. That means he’ll be facing off against Bitonio frequently. While the seven-time Pro Bowler isn’t the player he used to be, he’s still the Browns’ best offensive lineman and is having a solid campaign with a 71.3 grade from PFF.
That sets up for an interesting matchup between a proven veteran and a rookie looking to prove himself in the league.
