Believe it or not, there are some glimmers of hope as the Raiders welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Las Vegas on Sunday. And I'm guessing you're here because you're interested in just what those are. All right, here's three as I see it.
Raiders reasons for optimism vs Seahawks
1. Key injuries on the offensive line
Not that injuries to Raiders’ opponents have made all that much of a difference in previous matchups this season, there’s always the chance that this week it will. In this case it’s two big losses on the offensive line with stalwart left tackle Charles Cross and All Pro guard Quentin Nelson both OUT.
The Seahawks have done well to make up for their losses, but every little bit helps, and the Raiders will need all the help they can get. Whether that’s perhaps creating some extra pressure around the left edge, or maybe
stopping a few runs that would otherwise have Nelson paving the way to create the lane.
2. No tape on Fernando Mendoza
There is something to be said for the lack of proper preparation the Seahawks will have being that there is almost no NFL tape on him. He came in for one drive in garbage time in New England when the Patriots were just running clock. He ran the offense well, but there isn’t much there for Mike McDonald the the Seahawks defense the grab onto and exploit. They will just have to learn as they go. Pretty much like Mendoza making his first start. This could lead to a few plays in which Mendoza catches them by surprise.
3. Seahawks offense struggling of late
Starting again for the injured Sam Darnold is Drew Lock. The journeyman backup has been kicking around the NFL for eight years. And there’s a reason why he hasn’t been a full time starter for the past seven of those years. His skillset is pretty limited. But even before he stepped in the Seahawks hadn’t been putting a lot points on the board.
They’ve averaged just 17 points per game over the past four games and are 2-2 over that span because of it. They were able to beat the Cardinals last week on the strength of their defense while scoring just 17 points. If we’re looking at a game that stays within a couple scores, you never know what could happen.
See the causes for concern for the Raiders vs Seahawks
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 3 reasons for optimism for Raiders Week 10 vs Seahawks
