The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat as they take on the Green Bay Packers at home on Monday Night Football.
It is another prime time game for the Raiders, a chance to get back on track in front of their home crowd and a nationally televised audience.
They welcome in a solid, but very young Packers team that is trying to navigate the post-Aaron Rodgers era. With the departure of Rodgers brought the insertion of Jordan Love into the starting quarterback role, a player who had just one career star before this season. Now, he takes over a position that was held by a future Hall of Famer.
Love is not the only inexperienced player in the Packers’ offense. Several of their wide receivers and tight ends are quite young as well. Of the 12 Packers who have caught a pass this season, seven of them are either first or second-year players.
While this can be a tough situation to be in for Coach Matt LaFleur in a short-term scenario, it can pay dividends in the future as Love and his receivers can use this season to develop chemistry and eventually become a unit of dynamic pass catchers.
After the Packers traded Rodgers in the offseason, they named Love the starting quarterback, putting the keys to the future in his hands. They then spent five of their 13 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft on pass catchers to surround him. The Packers’ offseason vision was clear: to build around Love.
So far, Love has done a solid job building chemistry with his new weapons. Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed have been his top two options, while second-year man Christian Watson caught seven touchdown passes last season and is working his way back from an early-season injury.
While these young weapons are talented, they are inexperienced. This is something the Raiders must take advantage of on Monday night.
With a few experienced defensive backs in their secondary, players like Marcus Peters and Marcus Epps, who have been lauded for their football IQ and mistake-free play styles, have to force the Packers’ receivers to make the mistakes that young players are prone to make.
Those mistakes include running wrong or rushed routes, dropping passes, and the ill-advised fighting for extra yards that can result in fumbles. If the Raiders’ veteran defensive backs can disrupt the Packers’ receivers, it can throw their whole offense off their rhythm.
The Raiders must also generate a consistent pass rush in order to speed up Love’s processing. If they allow him to sit back comfortably in the pocket, he will pick them apart. If they get pressure on him, he will not hit his receivers in stride.
The Packers’ youth on the offensive side of the ball is something that can play into the Raiders’ favor. Forcing their young wide receivers into mistakes is a key way Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham can get his unit going, potentially setting the tone for the rest of the season.
The Silver and Black return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next week to play the Green Bay Packers on Monday, Oct. 9, at 8:15 p.m. EDT/5:15 p.m. PDT.
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