The Las Vegas Raiders will play four road games from Weeks 8 to 12. Sandwiched in those away games is their Week 10 home stand against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
The standings show that the Seahawks and the Raiders are not far off, with Seattle having one more victory than Las Vegas. However, that small discrepancy should not lead Klint Kubiak’s crew to underestimate their upcoming opponent.
For starters, the Seahawks defense is still regarded as one of the league’s best, despite their four losses. The “Dark Side” defense could create problems for rookie Fernando Mendoza, who is making his first-ever NFL start.
Meanwhile, Seattle has talented offensive athletes who could dominate with favorable looks. Here are the
key players from the Seahawks that the Raiders must pay close attention to if they want to stay at .500 after 10 games.
QB Drew Lock
Sam Darnold won’t play against the Raiders in Week 10 due to quad and rib injuries. So, in comes Lock, who has led the Seahawks to three of their five victories this season. Two of those three wins came against the Arizona Cardinals, while the third victory was during Seattle’s season-opener against the New England Patriots.
The Raiders cannot underestimate Lock because he can orchestrate the Seahawks' offense well enough to potentially keep his streak going.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year has already crossed the 1,000-receiving-yard mark after only nine games. His dominance continues as he averages 115.1 receiving yards and a touchdown catch per game.
A defense that ranks 26th in passing yards allowed and 32nd in opponent touchdowns per game will face a tough challenge against the league’s best wide receiver. Without a solid game plan to stop him, Smith-Njigba can single-handedly bring the Raiders to a 4-6 record.
Entire offensive line
Their availability may still be in question for Week 10, but Seattle boasts of a physically imposing O-line. Grey Zabel has allowed only two sacks and incurred only three penalties out of 593 snaps. When healthy, Charles Cross is an immovable force at left tackle.
Then there’s All-Pro Quenton Nelson, who hasn’t allowed a sack this season. Cross and Nelson' remain doubtful's status is in doubt for Week 10 as both missed practice Wednesday. But if they are healthy enough to play, these athletes are roadblocks that the Raiders’ pass rush must burst through.
LB Ernest Jones
If there’s one person that Mendoza and the Raiders’ offense must account for in every snap, it’s Jones. Through nine games, he leads the Seahawks with 88 total tackles (44 solo). Trailing him is cornerback Devon Witherspoon with a distant 56 tackles.
But that’s not the only way the middle linebacker impacts the Seattle defense. Jones is also tied for second in sacks among Seahawks players with three and has deflected five passes. He is a threat against the Raiders, regardless of where he lines up. Neutralizing him could be a key to success.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Key Seahawks players who could impact Week 10 game versus the Raiders
