With the COVID-19 debacle this week, we didn’t even know until today whether to expect the starting offensive line to be able to take the field. At this point, it appears they will be on the field and the game will go off on Sunday afternoon, after being moved out of the Sunday Night Football slot.
Jon Gruden vs Demons
This match-up is about history. And it’s two-fold. Gruden coached his last game for the Raiders in his first tenure in 2001. That was the Tuck Rule game. Arguably the worst call in NFL history stole a forced fumble away from Charles Woodson on a play that would have won the game for the Raiders. It was ruled from the booth after the fact as a Tuck Rule situation. The Patriots would win and go on to hoist their first Lombardi Trophy.
The following offseason, Al Davis traded Gruden to Tampa for two first-round picks. The next year, the Raiders would make the Super Bowl and face Gruden’s Bucs as if right out of a movie. Then Gruden got his ring and the Raiders did not.
So, Gruden is facing the quarterback who fumbled the ball away and still got a Super Bowl out of it and the team to which Gruden got his ring and coached for eight years. As much as this the game in Arrowhead before the bye meant to Derek Carr, this one holds similar implications for Gruden. Last week Carr pulls some tricks out of his bag, so we’ll see what surprises Gruden as in store for this one.
LG Denzelle Good vs DT William Gholston
The Bucs have 22 sacks this season and one of the better run defenses as well. Good will factor into both those areas Sunday. Whether the Raiders are to control the clock and keep Tom Brady and the Bucs offense from running up the score will depend on how well Josh Jacobs can run the ball. Good will play a big role in that.
In terms of pass blocking, Gholston leads the Bucs with 10 QB hits with two sacks as well. When Gholston isn’t in, it’s Ndamukong Suh Good will have to deal with. Suh has three sacks this season, so it won’t get any easier.
RT Sam Young vs DE Shaq Barrett
Barrett led the NFL in 2019 with 19.5 sacks. He has three sacks so far this season. It would be great if the Raiders had a healthy Trent Brown in at right tackle when facing off against the reigning NFL sack leader. But he decided not to take the COVID-19 protocols seriously and ended up testing positive, so he’s out for the game.
In his place will be veteran backup, Sam Young. What Young does well is he is a technician. He does well to stay between the quarterback and the oncoming pass rusher. But he isn’t the physical presence Brown is at the position and Barrett will try to take advantage of that. Ironically Young is also the only Raiders starting offensive lineman to practice this week.
SS Jeff Heath vs TE Rob Gronkowski
Also caught up in Trent Brown’s COVID-19 irresponsibility is safety Johnathan Abram, who would have been a great help when facing Gronk. Abram was in contact with Brown on Tuesday, so his quarantine isn’t up until Monday.
Taking Abram’s place is Heath. To be fair, Heath is no slouch. He was a starter in Dallas and last week at Arrowhead, he had a huge interception of Patrick Mahomes that resulted in a Raiders touchdown. It was the first time this season Mahomes had been intercepted.
Heath will have many more responsibilities than Gronk, but none more important. The future Hall of Famer has long been one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets. Gronk is second on the team in receptions (17) behind only Mike Evans. And his 218 receiving yards are third-most on the team.
LB Nick Kwiatkoski vs RB Ronald Jones II
Kwiatkoski’s presence was felt when he returned in week four after missing three games this season. He made a big difference on the defense in the Raiders’ win over the Chiefs as well, helping to hold the NFL’s second-leading rusher Clyde Edwards-Helaire to 40 yards on 10 carries.
Now Kwiatkoski will try to do the same against the league’s 5th leading rusher. Jones has 472 yards this season. His four runs over 20 yards is second only to Nick Chubb (6) among running backs, and his 4.9 yards per carry is second only to Vikings’ Dalvin Cook (5.3) among backs with at least 90 carries.
Spelling Jones is Leonard Fournette who averages 5.1 yards per carry this season, so there will be no rest for Kwiatkoski in this one.
