The Las Vegas Raiders continue to work their way through one of the toughest four-game stretches any team in the league has this season. Klint Kubiak's Raiders keep searching for consistency and an identity as they face the league's elite. Sunday, they will host the Buffalo Bills.
The Raiders look to be relatively healthy heading into Week 6. Las Vegas listed 12 players on the injury list throughout the week with various designations. Notably, Tonka Hemingway didn't practice at all this week because he's been dealing with a concussion. He will not play against the Bills.
Tough Stretch
The Raiders have hit their first bump in the road under Kubiak. After nearly a full week of practice, the first-year head coach believes his team has had a solid week of preparation as they prepare for another team that ranks near the top of the league.
"I've been impressed. That's who they are. They're a very mature group. They want to win, and they know that it takes great practices to win. So, I have been impressed with their response," Kubiak said after Friday's practice.
Brock Bowers, Jalen Nailor, Spencer Burford, Dareke Young, Dont'e Thornton, Segun Olubi, Ashton Jeanty, Patrick Johnson, and Folorunso Fatukasi were all full participants nearly every day this week. They will all be active on Sunday, except for Thornton.
Neither Thornton nor Carter Runyon will play Sunday. Trey Zuhn was a limited participant in practice this week. Kubiak designated the rookie offensive lineman as questionable. Still, the return of their veteran receiver may be a step towards getting the offense back on track.
Nailor's return is huge for a Raiders team with an ailing receiving corps. Even if Nailor does not register big numbers, his presence as a fast, dependable pass-catcher gives the Raiders' offense more of a threat than it has without him. Kubiak explained what Nailor's return means.
“Jalen's [Nailor] a playmaker. He's going to help us. He's going to help us win a lot of games this year, and I think obviously you don't want him to be out for a game, but it gives him a chance to freshen up, and he'll be an impactful player for us."
Uphill Battle
The Bills are another elite team that does many things the last two weeks have confirmed the Raiders struggle with. Although they are far from fully healthy, Las Vegas appears to be as healthy as it has been since its two-game losing streak started.
The Raiders' Week 5 performance against the New England Patriots solidified the need for improvement in all three phases. Buffalo will do everything it can to capitalize on that on Sunday. Las Vegas' injury report was filled mainly with offensive players.
The unit's overall health is undoubtedly the biggest hurdle the team faces, as it has only added to the unit's struggles, even when healthy. Sunday's home matchup against the Bills is another test early in Kubiak's tenure with the team.
He has been tasked with not only getting the most out of the offense, but also with doing so even when the unit is banged up and still needs further revamping. The Raiders' most recent three coaches struggled with this as well. Kubiak and the Raiders are right on schedule.
Las Vegas is in the first season of a years-long rebuild and is in the middle of a stretch of games against the league's top teams. Las Vegas' areas of improvement are clear. Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko explained the coaching staff's approach.
“Everything we do, we're trying to detail up as we grow in the system, as we grow together as an offense. The individual techniques is something that we emphasize and focus every day, whether it be up front, whether it be with our backs,” Janocko said earlier this week.
“We look at trying to generate more production within the scheme as we look at that, but we take a look at every single aspect, whether it be with the players and their techniques with our scheme, and just trying to grow with every facet of our offense, not just the run game, but we're trying to grow as a full offense together."
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