The Raiders are on the last stop of their five-game road tour, and change is in the air.
The club traded starting cornerback, Gareon Conley, leaving those following the team to speculate about additional moves with the trade deadline less than one week away.
Of course, there are current players who must step up to fill the void left by Conley, Oakland’s former No. 1 draft pick. Plus, there are Raiders returning from stints on the injury report, and mid-season acquisitions already added to the club bring a breath of fresh air.
No matter the circumstances, the Raiders have a game to win. At 3-3 overall with a 2-2 mark on the road, Oakland can exit this unusually long road stretch with a winning record.
Here are the players to watch when the Raiders play the 4-3 Texans in Houston, as each team angles for a playoff run.
CB Trayvon Mullen
According to coach Jon Gruden, the Raiders traded Conley because the Raiders have young cornerbacks that need to see the field. First up: rookie CB Trayvon Mullen.
A second-round pick, Mullen has drawn praise from Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock since they pulled the trigger on the former Clemson Tiger. He’s built more sturdily than Conley, who was drafted by the previous regime and was a poor tackler during his days as a Raider, in addition to struggling in coverage lately. Those are certainly reasons Mullen was favored.
It won’t take long for Oakland to run into Conley; the Raiders traded him to the Texans for a third-round pick. Watch to see if Mullen can excel and keep Gruden and Mayock from looking across the field at Conley with regret.
WR Tyrell Williams
The Raiders offense is clicking lately, and Gruden has been without his No. 1 wide receiver, Tyrell Williams. It appears that will change, with Williams participating in practice on a limited basis Wednesday.
Williams caught a touchdown in each of his four games played this season. He’s an ideal complement to Oakland’s tight end group, led by Darren Waller. Williams has deep-threat ability, which could loosen the Texans’ defense for rookie running back Josh Jacobs as well.
With a serious injury like plantar fasciitis, it’s possible Williams suffers a setback. If he does, keep an eye on WR Zay Jones. Acquired via trade on Oct. 7, Jones should be ready to contribute by now, though he won’t have the rapport with quarterback Derek Carr that Williams does.
Williams is the WR the Raiders most want on the field this Sunday. Watch to see if he can first suit up and then thrive like he did Weeks 1 through 4. If he’s held back another week, watch for Jones’ adjustment to Carr and the next player on this week’s list, another wide receiver coming back from injury.
WR Dwayne Harris
Wide receiver and return specialist, Dwayne Harris was a full participant in practice Wednesday and it appears he’ll play this week after missing the last four games.
He can certainly be an asset on offense, but Gruden most values him as a return man. He’s an elite specialist, with four career punt-return touchdowns and one kickoff-return score as a pro.
In fact, Gruden values the position in general; he traded for WR/RS Trevor Davis when Harris was out. Watch to see if Gruden’s focus on that role pays off with improved field position, which is surely the reason Gruden puts so much emphasis on having a skilled returner.
QB Derek Carr
Quarterback Derek Carr and the offense hit its stride during this stretch of away games, but Carr suffered a bump in the road last week in Green Bay.
He fumbled away Oakland’s chance for an upset when he dove for the end zone with the football in one hand, resulting in a touchback for the Packers. He must put that behind him and not let his much-criticized mistake impact his play this Sunday or into the future.
Luckily, he’ll have added help from a combination of Williams, Jones and Harris. Carr has been on such a roll, however, he hasn’t needed his full complement of receivers. He’s embraced the revolving door at that position and produced results.
The emergence of Waller is a difference-maker for Carr, too. But regardless of his supporting cast, Carr has proven to be effective in Gruden’s west coast offense. Watch to see if he can get back on track.
DE Clelin Ferrell
In this column’s weekly search for a pass rush, defensive end Clelin Ferrell makes an appearance on the list.
The Raiders are No. 27 in the NFL in sacks with 10 total QB takedowns, which is an improvement from last season, when they were last by a large margin, notching only 13 such plays all year. Veteran defensive end Benson Mayowa and rookie DE Maxx Crosby have stepped up recently, and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst had two QB sacks in London against the Bears.
But only Ferrell is a first-round choice. That alone merits watching his progression. The Raiders must improve their QB attack, and the easiest path to that end is the No. 4 overall pick finding his way. Watch to see if he can get close to Texans QB DeShaun Watson and maybe even take him down. Also, Ferrell could do well to simply contain the outside against Watson, who has 196 rushing yards this season, so watch for that as well.
It’s not often a team in the playoff hunt, no matter how early in the campaign, trades its starting cornerback. The Conley trade hammers home a stark reality; the Raiders are a young, rebuilding team, albeit one that has the benefit of experience at quarterback and a few other positions.
Most importantly, the rebuild is going exceptionally well. The Raiders offense is clicking, thanks to young cornerstones, Jacobs and Waller. The offensive line is rounding into form, too, providing a powerful motor for Carr and Gruden’s skill players.
While the defense’s progress is lagging behind, the team’s record sits at 3-3 near the end a road stretch that threatened to dismantle the campaign. At worse, the club will survive the road trip with a 3-4 overall record. At best, the Raiders will emerge from Sunday’s game a legitimate playoff contender, all while rebuilding on the way to Las Vegas.
