Week 6 has arrived for the Las Vegas Raiders as they look to return to winning ways. A two-game losing skid has left the team on their heels, facing humbling experiences in every direction. They hope their fortunes can turn around when they host the league's best quarterback, Josh Allen, and the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are an AFC favorite, and despite losing to their AFC East rival, the New England Patriots, Las Vegas and head coach Klint Kubiak are looking to pull off an upset. After Kubiak's week of accountability, a couple of players will likely receive much-needed opportunities. Others have a chance to rebound, and I'm watching four Raiders players on Sunday.
Treydan Stukes, Safety
Stukes had a rough game against the Patriots. Frankly, it hasn't been fun for the former second-round pick over the past two weeks. Against Allen and the Bills' offense, Stukes has a chance to rebound in a big way.
There's a lot to like about Stukes, whether it is his range and ball skills as a single-high defender or the closing speed and physicality that make him an effective run-support defender. However, there is a football IQ and connectivity component that has been lacking for the last couple of weeks. If Stukes is to rebound, he'll need to be on the same page on the back end with his fellow defensive backs.
Michael Mayer, Tight End
Kubiak discussed earlier this week that one of the players he wanted to give more opportunities to against New England was Mayer, who caught only one pass for two yards on his lone target. Mayer was used heavily in pass protection against the Patriots' blitzes. This week, the fourth-year player could re-emerge as a key piece of the passing game against a Bills pass defense ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL.
Kolton Miller, Left Tackle
It has been an incredibly rough season for Las Vegas' franchise left tackle, who has allowed 17 pressures, including 12 in the last two games combined, according to Pro Football Focus. One thing I've noticed him struggling against is speed-to-power, and against the Bills' standout edge rusher Greg Rousseau, he will deal with the same approach. I'm looking to see if Miller can anchor better and reset his base when beginning to lose traction, rebounding in the process.
Mike Washington Jr., Running Back
With Ashton Jeanty nursing an injury, the Raiders want to get rookie Mike Washington more involved in the run game, especially where he is most effective with gap-blocking concepts. He received one carry for five yards last week, and Kubiak has said he needs to do better at giving his talented young tailback chances to carry the rock. Look for Washington to see more touches in the run game on Sunday.
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