There are plenty of causes for concern for the Raiders. Here are the five I’m looking at as they take the field Sunday against the Rams.
Possible return of Cooper Kupp
One of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL could return this week. His presence alone could open up the Rams offense. His last full season, he had nearly 2000 receiving yards and won NFL Offensive Player of the Year. That same year he helped the Rams hoist the Lombardi Trophy. So, yeah, it’s a big deal that he could play.
Inability to handle adversity
This Raiders team seems to have a pretty fragile psyche at the moment. In their last three losses, the moment the first sign of trouble happened, they fell apart. Last week a fumble opened the flood gates and the meltdown began. The week before it was a pick-six that started the dominoes falling. At this point, you just wait for the that mistake that will cause everything to begin falling apart.
League worst turnover differential
No team in the NFL has turned the ball over more than the Raiders. They have 12 turnovers on the season. Making matter worse, they’ve only took the ball away two times. Making for far and away the worst turnover differential in the league (-10). They were tied for the worst in the NFL last week, then added three more turnovers while not taking the ball away from the Steelers even once.
No No. 1 receiver?
In Davante Adams, the Raiders had a true number one. He’s now gone. Traded to the Jets. And the other Raiders’ starter is in danger of missing the game. Jakobi Meyers already missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and though he might return Friday, his status for the game would still be in doubt. He is a good wide receiver, but a true number one he is not.
Kolton Miller in midst of worst season
No tackle in football has given up more sacks than Miller (6). He also tends to give up run stuffs. While the Rams don’t have a great pass rush, it may not matter if Miller can’t rediscover his game from previous seasons. He’s had some of the worst games of his career this season as he has is banged up and struggling to acclimate to the new blocking scheme.
