Raiders vs. Jaguars: How Vegas Can Contain Travis Hunter and Control the Trenches

JAGUARS VS. RAIDERS PREVIEW

Before kickoff, make sure you check out our latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast for a full breakdown of the Raiders’ matchup with the Jaguars. I’m joined by Rick Ballou from Jacksonville’s flagship station, 1010 XL/92.5 FM, to dive deep into how the Jags could feature Travis Hunter more on offense, where Trevor Lawrence and company have stumbled during their two-game skid, and how the Raiders can exploit those weaknesses. We also dissect Jacksonville’s defense — from its biggest strengths to its soft spots — and explain why that could be the key to a bounce-back performance for Vegas. Plus, I share my thoughts on Tyler Lockett’s fit in Chip Kelly’s offense and how he could immediately impact the Raiders’ attack.

BROCK’S BACK

After missing the last three games with a PCL sprain, Raiders All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers looks like he’s ready to roll. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and Pete Carroll even said he “kind of stole the show a little bit” when he returned to practice last week during the bye week.

In the season opener against the Patriots, Brock hauled in five passes for 103 yards. Geno Smith also threw for a season-high 362 yards in that game. After Brock suffered that injury, things just weren’t the same for him, or the offense, and in the three games he missed heading into the bye week, Geno Smith averaged just 156.3 yards passing.

OTHER INJURY NEWS

Maxx Crosby and Adam Butler both returned to practice on Thursday in a limited fashion. The pair of defenders are working their way back from back injuries they suffered in week 7 against the Chiefs. Pete Carroll initially suggested they wouldn’t practice until Friday, so that’s some positive news to see them out there a day earlier. Keep an eye out for the injury report from today’s practice for their designation, but Pete seemed confident they’d be ready to roll against the Jags when we spoke to him on Wednesday.

KEYS TO THE GAME

BOTTLE UP TRAVIS HUNTER

It took Travis Hunter a while to get going, but it seems the No. 2 overall pick is hitting his stride. In their last game against the Rams, Hunter proved to be a real vertical threat. He racked up 71 yards receiving on throws 10-plus yards downfield, which was one yard shy of his total on such throws through the season so far.

Conversely, the Raiders’ defense has struggled in that regard. Against passes traveling 10-plus yards downfield, they rank third-worst in the NFL, receiving a 26.4 coverage grade, and they have actually allowed the seventh-highest catch rate on such throws, at 55%.

Long story short, they gotta keep limiting the big plays by Hunter to have a shot on Sunday.

For more on how the Jags want to use Hunter, and his ascension to WR1 for them, check out our latest podcast breaking down that topic with ESPN’s Mike DiRocco. The Audio version of the podcast is already available, and you can watch it on video on our YouTube channel at 9:00 a.m. PST.

GET THE PASS RUSH ROLLIN’

It’s always about rush and cover in football. So with our first key in mind, the Raiders’ defensive line has to get to Trevor Lawrence to make life easier for their defensive backs. The Jags’ offensive line has given up 76 pressures in the last two games alone, so Maxx and the rest of the defensive line need to get to take advantage of a struggling group up front for Jacksonville.

GET THE DEEP PASSING GAME GOING

Geno Smith completed four passes that traveled 20+ air yards in the opener against the Patriots. In the six games since then, he’s only hit on three such throws. I know he’s turned the ball over at an alarming rate, so this key may scare some folks, and I also think we see them employ a ball control approach like we saw against Tennessee, but they still need to take their deep shots. I think inserting Brock back into the lineup will help open things up in the passing game. Since he’ll draw some attention, it should also open up opportunities for players like Tre and Jakobi to get over the top once or twice.

The Jags blitz a decent amount, 30.4% of the time, which ranked 11th in the league entering the bye week, so the offensive line will need to decipher those pressures, but even though they bring the heat, it hasn’t done much for them. They have a league-low eight sacks, and their QB pressure percentage of 30% ranks 27th in the league. So Geno should have some time back there to let things develop.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

RAIDERS ROUNDERS

THE BEST BETS OF THE WEEK FOR THE JAGUARS VS. RAIDERS GAME

Each week, I team up with betting analyst Matt Perrault (The Bostonian vs The Book, The Daily Juice) to spotlight the best Raiders bets of the week and a few smart plays from around the NFL. Think of it as the perfect mix of insider football talk and betting insight, giving you a sharper look at how Vegas views the Silver & Black — from player props to game lines — and where the edges might be heading into Sunday.

With that in mind, here are our best plays for the Raiders’ Week 9 matchup against the Jaguars:

• Raiders +2.5

• Geno Smith under 33.5 pass attempts

Matt’s taking the Raiders to cover, and he even thinks they’ll be able to pull off the win, too. He also thinks you should take the under on Geno Smith pass attempts. He feels they’ll come out and finally commit to the running game, which will eat into Geno’s attempts. Geno’s also gone under 33.5 pass attempts in four out of the last five games.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Raiders Rounders is all about sharing our perspective on the game. These aren’t betting recommendations — any wagers you place are 100% your responsibility. Bet responsibly.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

We’ve got a new segment for you guys! “FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day. This week, we’re featuring a shot he captured of Brock Bowers from last season, in the Raiders’ win over the Ravens. You guys have seen this one before in our newsletter but it’s one of my favorite shots Arnie’s snagged of Brock and since he’s likely returning to action this week, I thought it was fitting to feature No. 89. Check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’ll be back out at Raiders HQ this afternoon for practice and to catch up with Pete Carroll and the team around 1:40 p.m.

Stay plugged in: Follow along on all our social channels linked above for live updates and takeaways from practice today.

Tune in on Sunday: As soon as we wrap up locker room interviews after the game, we’ll be taping our postgame reaction podcast. Make sure you’re subscribed to us on YouTube so you don’t miss our instant reaction and analysis straight from the field at Allegiant Stadium.

Catch ya next time,