As we pointed out this week, it's time for the Raiders to turn the corner. They started the season beating up on bad teams, then have had a couple hard-fought close losses to very good teams. The next step in their development is to turn those competitive losses into wins. And this could be the week to do it. And this week there are plenty of...
Reasons for optimism for Raiders vs Rams
1. Rams injuries to star receivers
This could end up being one of the more catastrophic weeks for a wide receiver corps in history. Imagine losing your three-time All Pro receiving yards leader to a serious injury and then losing your reigning All Pro and receptions leader…in the same week. That’s what the Rams could be looking at. They already sent Davante Adams to injured reserve and then during the week, Puka Nacua suffered a calf injury that
could have him missing the game as well. Having to replace one is bad enough. But having to replace both? They have a combined 897 receiving yards. Which is nearly the total of the rest of the team combined (910). The next men up at receiver figure to be Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington who have a combined 10 catches for 139 yards and one touchdown on the season.
2. Rams injuries to front seven
The injuries on the other side of the ball are even more of a problem. The Rams were picked to be a serious Super Bowl contender when they acquired reigning defensive player of the year Myles Garrett in a trade with the Browns. But he was lost in the season opener and remains on injured reserve. This past week, they lost two of their top defensive tackles Kobie Turner and Poona Ford to injury, with both heading to injured reserve. Also missing the game is full time starting inside linebacker and leading tackler, Nate Landman. He has a concussion. If the Raiders can’t run on this unit, God help them.
3. Raiders know how to score
What’s interesting about this Raiders offense is, despite all their issues on offense with a poor wide receiver corps and one of the league’s worst rushing attacks is they still put points on the board. They are sixth in the league in scoring (27 points per game) and second in the league in passing touchdowns (14). This means that they have the ability to wear a team down, they just haven’t been in that position much this season. This could be one of those games where that ability could be the difference.
See the causes for concern for Raiders vs Rams
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 3 reasons for optimism for Raiders Week 7 vs Rams
