The Las Vegas Raiders’ hot start to the new season was nearly derailed in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints. The defense was having a very hard time stopping the Saints’ offense through three quarters.
A big reason for that was the rough play of safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. He gave up three touchdown passes in coverage. He was thrust into the starting lineup due to Treydan Stukes not clearing the concussion protocol.
Though he’s just a rookie, the second-round pick has proven to be a valuable piece of the defense. It’s hard to predict how long a player will be in the concussion protocol, but the Raiders can breathe a sigh of relief.
Head coach Klint Kubiak announced that Stukes has cleared the concussion protocol and is back at practice. Barring any setbacks, he should be good to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.
That’s huge for the Raiders, as Patrick Mahomes likely would pick on Pola-Mao the same way the Saints did. Stukes is still a rookie and is going to have some growing pains, but he’s strong in coverage. Some teams even view him as a cornerback coming out of college. If he plays against the Chiefs, that’ll help their chances of winning.
Eric Stokes Talks 3-0 Start
The Raiders defense had some issues in Week 3, but has been really strong for much of the season. The secondary has played very well.
Eric Stokes has proven to be a solid No. 1 cornerback and is showing that last year wasn’t a fluke. This season has been the polar opposite of last season. However, players aren’t ready to get too high of themselves yet.
Stokes made it clear that they take each individual game very seriously.
“It feels great,” Stokes said, per Vegas Sports Today. “We treat every week like the Super Bowl to us. So once we finally do get to the Super Bowl, it’s just another week to us.”
Each week represents a reset for the Raiders.
“We know for a fact we’re trying to go 1-0 every week, no matter what,” Stokes said.
Maxx Crosby Not Thinking About Playoffs
Maxx Crosby is in his eighth year with the Raiders, but has only made the playoffs once. He’s seen the team get off to solid starts only to fall apart at the end of the year.
A 3-0 start is great, but the Raiders likely need at least seven more wins if they’re going to get into the playoffs. Crosby isn’t even thinking about the playoffs right now.
“You have to be focused on what the mission is,” Crosby said. “And I’ve said it, multiple times, but you don’t make the playoffs at three wins.”
In Week 4, the Raiders face the Chiefs, which will be their toughest test yet. Crosby is laser-focused on the hated rival.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Crosby said. “We have a huge divisional opponent, Kansas City Chiefs. We know how important this is and how big of a challenge it is.”
Raiders Can Breathe Sigh of Relief As Important Start Returns to Practice