Raiders / Rams Preview – Can the Raiders stay hot?

Raiders / Rams Preview – Can the Raiders stay hot?

by Thomas Quaynor, NFL analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

Why The Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) visit the Los Angeles Rams (3-9) on Thursday Night Football. The Raiders are coming off a 27-20 win over the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, their third win in a row, meanwhile the defending Super Bowl champion Rams are coming off a last-second 27-23 loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks, which was their 6th straight loss. 

The Raiders are a 6-point favorite, and the total is 44.5. This game will feature two of the best in the NFL going head-to-head as Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams battles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. 

The Las Vegas Raiders had high hopes for this season after making the playoffs last year, signing superstar wideout Davante Adams as a free agent in the off-season and hiring Bill Belichick disciple Josh McDaniels, but the Raiders got off to a 2-7 start and the season appeared to be a lost cause. 

The Raiders have now won three in a row and have a slight chance of sneaking into the playoffs as a wildcard. The turnaround is due in large part to the duo of RB Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams, both are putting up spectacular numbers. Jacobs leads the NFL in rushing with 1,303 yards, he’s also rushed for 10 touchdowns. In Week 12’s 40-34 overtime win at Seattle, Jacobs rushed for 229 yards which included an 86-yard game-ending touchdown in overtime, had also added 74 receiving yards, it was one of the great performances in NFL history for a running back. 

Davante Adams has maintained his status as one of the best wideouts in the NFL in his first year with the Raiders (reuniting with his college QB at Fresno State, Derek Carr), he had 12 catches for 177 yards last week against the Los Angeles Chargers and has 125 or more receiving yards in 4 out of his last 5 games. Much-maligned quarterback Derek Carr seems to be in the same position every year where half the fan base thinks he’s great and the other half wants him gone. Defensive End Maxx Crosby (10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles) is a standout on a mediocre defense.

The Rams

After going 12-5 last season and winning the Super Bowl, everything has fallen apart this season for the Los Angeles Rams as they sit at 3-9 and losers of 6 straight games. Injuries and off-season defections are the main reasons for the struggles this year. Starting quarterback Matt Stafford and All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp suffered season-ending injuries, off-season free agent acquisition WR Allen Robinson II is on the season-ending IR list and starting running back Darrell Henderson Jr. was released two weeks ago. During the off-season, wide receiver Robert Woods was traded to the Tennessee Titans and all-pro linebacker Von Miller signed with the Buffalo Bills. The Rams did sign former Seattle Seahawks star LB Bobby Wagner as a free agent and he has played well, but the inconsistent offense plus the injuries have pretty much negated his contribution. 

The defense still has big names in all-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, in addition to Wagner, who are capable of keeping the depleted Rams in games. The offense was supposed to be led by quarterbacks John Wolford and Bryce Perkins, who have both started games since Stafford’s injury but they have claimed Baker Mayfield, the number one overall pick in the 2018 draft, off waivers on Tuesday night after he was released by the Carolina Panthers, he could start on Thursday night. 

I do have my suspicions that the Rams claimed him as a way to block their division rival San Francisco 49ers from signing him since the 49ers will now have to rely on their 3rd string rookie QB, Brock Purdy for the rest of the regular season and possibly the entire playoffs! Purdy was the last pick aka “Mr. Irrelevant” in this past April’s draft.  

The Rams 2023 first round pick belongs to the Detroit Lions due to the Matt Stafford trade, so tanking doesn’t help them, maybe they feel B. Mayfield can help them pull out a few victories, so the Lions don’t end up with a top 5 pick from them.

The Pick

The Raiders are somewhat hot right now and the Rams are not, lay the 5.5…Raiders 31, Rams 17