The Las Vegas Raiders are facing a gauntlet of talented NFL QBs in these last handful of weeks, with the latest being Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen in Week 6. Moreover, the Silver and Black need to elevate their game if they want to end their two-game losing streak.
One aspect that the Raiders defense will need to worry about is Allen’s ability to hurt them with his legs. In the Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Allen had 10 carries for 121 rushing yards, averaging 12.1 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown.
Ahead of the game on Oct. 18, linebacker Nakobe Dean shared his thoughts on facing the Bills star.
“They’re one of the high-powered offenses in the league,” Dean told reporters on Oct. 14. “Josh has the ability to extend plays and play that backyard football, as I like to call it. So we just have to make sure we stay on our keys, and our style of play really matters this week.
“… It definitely brings difficulty. We have to make sure in the back end and the front end, that we’re getting to them and not letting them escape. In the back end, we’re plastering and covering the receivers for however long it takes. Everybody, tight ends and receivers.”
Nakobe Dean on Raiders’ Mindset Amid Two-Game Losing Streak
Despite having fallen in their last two games and now facing another elite QB, the Raiders aren’t looking in the past or too far ahead and are taking it day by day to ensure that the team can fix any mistakes that cost them in the loss to the New England Patriots.
“You’ve got to take it a day at a time and continue to do everything with a purpose,” Dean added. “Just going into practice today, going in with a purpose, focusing on what I need to improve on and improving on that.
“… We just have to improve our technique a lot. There were a lot more penalties than we’re used to, too. A lot of technique things, block structure and tackling are things we continue to want to get better at week in and week out anyway.”
Klint Kubiak on Josh Allen, James Cook Ahead of Week 6 Game
Along with Allen, Buffalo have James Cook, who can hurt them in the running game. The Bills running back had 25 carries for 111 rushing yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry, and two touchdowns in the win over the Rams.
“I know his family well,” Raiders head coach Kubiak said on the Oct. 13 edition of “1-on-1” about Cook. “His brother played for us in Minnesota, Dalvin, and two very explosive backs. Five yards per carry, that says what it says. But his explosion and his ability to make plays in the pass game make him a big threat.”
Furthermore, Kubiak shares his thoughts on Allen, noting that the Silver and Black’s can’t just worry about the passing game.
“He’s a competitor,” Kubiak noted. “He does what it takes to win. He’s one of the elite players in the league and a guy that we have to account for this week. Account for his arm and his legs.”
Raiders’ Nakobe Dean Gives True Thoughts on Facing Bills’ Josh Allen