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The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into Week 4 of the NFL season really banged up. Among the notable players sitting out is wide receiver Bryan Edwards, who reaggravated an ankle injury against the New England Patriots. In addition to that, Henry Ruggs is doubtful with injuries to his knee and hamstring. That’s not to mention that Rico Gafford is also listed as doubtful.
The team didn’t make any big moves to address the wide receiver issue but they have made the decision to promote Keelan Doss to the active roster. Doss was the darling of training camp in 2019 and made a name for himself on Hard Knocks. He had a number of opportunities to play in regular-season games last year but didn’t make the most of it.
He’s now got a year under his belt and more familiarity with the offense. Perhaps he’ll have a chance to recapture some of the magic that made him look like a steal. It’s unlikely Jon Gruden will have him in the gameplan but he’s tall like Edwards, so maybe he can get open and make a couple of passes. If that happens, he could keep his spot on the roster until Edwards gets healthy.
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Theo Riddick Also Promoted
Along with Doss, veteran running back Theo Riddick was also promoted. The move to promote Riddick is interesting considering the Raiders appear set at running back. Josh Jacobs did land on the injury report with hip and knee issues but he was a full participant in practice all week.
Backups Devontae Booker and Jalen Richard didn’t land on the injury report so there doesn’t seem to be a need for running back help. Riddick is a veteran and succeeds in the passing game. His style is very similar to Richard’s. With all three of the Raiders running backs seemingly healthy and playing well, it’s possible that Riddick is inactive against the Buffalo Bills.
Bills Are Vulnerable Against the Run
The Raiders could keep Riddick inactive or they could have other plans. The Bills have a ton of talent on defense but the group hasn’t been as successful as it was last season. In fact, they are pretty vulnerable against the run. Las Vegas has one of the better rushing attacks in the NFL. Perhaps Gruden promoted Riddick so he could have four capable running backs to throw at the Bills.
When the Raiders have been able to run, they have success on offense. They went away from rushing against the Patriots and their offense suffered for it. With Sam Young potentially back this week, Las Vegas’ offense line should be better than it was last week. That would mean good news for Jacobs, who has yet to break 100 yards rushing this season. That could very well change against Buffalo as he’s poised for a really big game. Factor in that the Raiders are low on wide receivers right now and Sunday is going to be all about Jacobs.
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